Instead of $250/hour billed for all work, the Village will pay a flat fee of $43,645/month for general  government legal services beginning Oct 1, 2026. ($523,740 annually)

In addition to the $523,740 annual fixed fee, the Weiss Serota fee structure will include:

• Litigation costs: $325/hour, up from $250/hour

• Specialized government services: $325/hour, up from $250/hour

• Cost recovery: $650/hour - implemented 14 months ago

  
  

We are concerned about the added $75/hour for litigation costs.  The amount of litigation could vary tremendously from year to year.

The special government service item, though not well explained, must be approved in advance by the manager.

Cost Recovery: Most troubling is the significantly higher cost for “cost recovery,” a process that was implemented August 2025.  If a Village property owner applies for a service for which the Village staff needs legal assistance, Weiss Serota will charge a fee of $650/hour that will be paid by the applicant, not the Village, as “Cost Recovery.”

To date there have been 17 property owners responsible for cost recovery since last October, billed anywhere from 12 minutes of legal fees to over 10 hours.

* Quick stated that this was not a new fee level. He indicated that the Council approved the $650/hour last year. We requested the documentation via a public record request last week and have not yet been provided that information about prior council approval of the $650/hour.