Law Firm To Continue As Lowell City Attorney

Cordes Suspended After Discovery He Was Living In A House In The County, Mayor Says

City officials will continue to use the law firm of Harrington Miller Kieklak Eichmann & Brown of Springdale after Vaughn-Michael Cordes, who had been the city’s elected city attorney, resigned last week.

Tom Kieklak has been the acting city attorney since August 2012 when aldermen suspended Cordes with pay.

Mayor Eldon Long said Cordes was suspended after it was discovered Cordes was living in a house in the county rather than in Lowell. Cordes said he split his time between the county home and the Lowell residence, where he is registered to vote.

Cordes was elected city attorney, with a salary of $78,000 in November 2010 and took office Jan. 1, 2011.

Cordes was seldom in his city administration building office, and often had other attorneys handle prosecution for him in Lowell District Court, according to email between Cordes and city officials.

Greg Brown, a partner in the firm, has handled prosecution District Court, and Kieklak attended council meetings, wrote ordinances and dealt with other legal matters for the city, Kieklak said.

“We’ve worked for the city on and off for several years and will continue to offer our services,” Kieklak said.

“We negotiated a lower fee with law firm for prosecution and for the city side of the job,” Long said.

Lowell is paying a flat fee of $165 per hour for each attorney working for the city, according to Jerry Hudlow, the city’s chief financial officer.

“I expect aldermen will be looking at an ordinance next month that will better define the duties and salary of an elected city attorney,” Long said.

Contract attorneys have been used in Lowell on several occasions when no local attorney ran for the city attorney position, Long said.

“The next election will be in 2014. I have no idea whether anyone will run for the city attorney’s office next year. If no one does, aldermen will have the opportunity to negotiate a contract with an attorney to handle the city business,” Long said.

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