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Ottawa County commissioners approved a no-bid contract worth more than $580,000 at a meeting on Tuesday, despite some concerns from residents and commissioners over transparency and a potential conflict of interest.
It was the second meeting for the board, under a new majority that was elected with the support of Ottawa Impact PAC, a political committee formed in opposition to school mask mandates during the pandemic.
Two of the founders of the PAC are now the chair and vice chair of the board of commissioners. And nine of the commission’s 11 members were elected with the support of Ottawa Impact PAC.
Tuesday, they voted to approve a contract with the Kallman Legal Group to serve as corporate counsel for the county. The Lansing-based firm filed a number of lawsuits opposing emergency orders during the pandemic, and was active against Proposal 3, which legalized abortion services in Michigan.
“When you have the best, you have the best.”
The two-year contract approved Tuesday would pay Kallman Legal Group $225 per hour for a minimum of 1,248 hours of work this year, and $240 per hour next year. Kallman is set to earn at least $580,320 over the course of the contract, and potentially more on litigation filed against the county, which it will be allowed to bill at a higher rate.
The contract came after board members moved to fire the county’s previous top legal advisor at their last meeting, without warning.
“No one else to my knowledge was involved in the decision-making process when it came to selecting this attorney.”
Rebekah Curran, Ottawa County Commissioner
And it came despite concerns from some commissioners and residents that the process lacked transparency, and didn’t include a typical request for proposal, which would have given other law firms an opportunity to bid for the contract.
“We typically go through an RFP…
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