I am responding to Mr. Mike Gridley, our City Attorney’s quotes and opinions in the Coeur d’Alene Press article, dated Feb. 15 under the headline, “The high cost of Counsel.”

You state that you have four full-time employees and a part time employee on your staff.

I moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2009 and for our first general election we were told that the current elected city officials are doing a great job down at City Hall.

I have followed city and county politics since I first voted for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.

You also stated that your Department spent $206,362 on outside attorneys since 2011 in this article, “The high cost of Council,” Feb. 15.

Mr. Gridley, here are my questions.

How many dollars did the Coeur d’Alene City Council pay for Mike Kennedy’s legal counsel for his 2009 election debacle, in the courts here in Coeur d’Alene, at the County Court House after winning by a 5-vote margin?

The taxpayers of Coeur d’Alene were charged $69,660 for Mike Kennedy’s legal bill in his 2009 election defense issues.

Mike Gridley recommended to the City Council, at their open public meeting “to pay the $69,660 legal bill for Mike Kennedy’s defense.” This is in the City’s Public records down at City Hall.

Why didn’t Mike Kennedy use your office and your department for his legal counsel when you said you defend all 400 employees down at City Hall, stated in the Coeur d’Alene Press, Feb. 15?

I challenge you, Mr. Gridley, to provide the answers to the citizens of Coeur d’Alene about this settlement when you said you had four attorneys plus a part-time attorney in your office. The Coeur d’Alene taxpayers paid for this legal advice for Mike Kennedy’s legal fees?

Mike Kennedy needs to step up and repay the citizens of Coeur d’Alene for his own legal fees.

Mike Kennedy said he would run for re-election in March 2013 at Woodland Middle School when he voted to move forward to the McEuen Park Construction Project, “even though it might cost him his election”— Mike Kennedy’s own words. (It’s in the recorded public record at City Hall) and then for some reason he decided not to seek re-election. The City Council records speak for themselves.

Just sharing the facts.

LES WIGEN

Coeur d’Alene