Budget Presentation to Council Office of Corporation Counsel May 9, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Office of Corporation Counsel

May 9, 2018

City of Hartford FY2019 Recommended Budget Budget Presentation to Council

CORPORATION COUNSEL MISSION

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• To provide quality legal assistance

and advice to City departments,

• ffices, agencies, boards and

commissions and to elected and appointed officials to enable them to better achieve their objectives.

CORPORATION COUNSEL DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATION CHART

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Corporation Counsel Deputy Corporation Counsel Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel (2) Assistant Corporation Counsel (7) Support Staff (3)

CORPORATION COUNSEL FY2018 HIGHLIGHTS

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• Continued management of over 1,500 active cases (including the Hartford

Board of Education) and of which 250 are tax appeals from the 2016 GL

• Negotiated settlements of a number of long-standing cases, including

Serrano v. Gaitor (Relocation Assistance)

• Placed 87 liens totaling $714,000 on properties under Relocation Assistance
• Successfully concluded negotiations of a number of transactions, including

the City lease at Constitution Plaza, the term sheet for renovation of Dillon Stadium

• Drafted and supported the drafting of multiple Ordinances such as the

regulation of Pregnancy Services Centers

• Actively engaged in negotiation of collective bargaining agreements
• Recovered over $500 thousand as a result of the now-concluded Dillon

Stadium civil litigation

CORPORATION COUNSEL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

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• Maximize the cost effectiveness of the City’s legal representation

through an appropriate balance of in-house and outside counsel

• Working with the Director of Finance and Tax Collector to increase

efforts on collection activities

• Support DDS and HHS in the enforcement of violations of the City

Housing Code and the Health Code

• Actively engage with DDS and the Hartford Land Bank on anti-

blight initiatives

• Implementation of the ADA Settlement Agreement with the Justice

Department

CORPORATION COUNSEL LEGAL MANDATES

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• Litigation
• Advice and Counsel
• Commercial and Real Estate
• Form and Legality Review
• Compliance and Enforcement

CORPORATION COUNSEL BUDGET COMPARISON – FY2018 AND FY2019

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FY2018 ADOPTED FY2019 RECOMM $ CHANGE % CHANGE General Fund 1,539,609 1,544,801 5,192 0.3% Grants MERF 46,226 46,226 CIP 79,149 (79,149)

• 100.0%

TOTAL 1,664,984 1,591,027 (73,957)

• 4.4%

CORPORATION COUNSEL

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Thank you!