Democrats on the Burlington City Council are planning to engage a lawyer to provide them with advice on the Burlington Telecom financing matter.

The seven Democrats plan to caucus Sunday, a day before their next City Council meeting. They had considered bringing him to Tuesday night's special meeting but decided against it based on the objections of others.

They promised the rest of the council, that though they were not welcome at the caucus because that would constitute a quorum and an open meeting, that they will share the lawyer's advice with other members. They also told other members they'd pass along any questions they had to him.

In a letter to fellow members, Councilor Joan Shannon, D-Ward 5, said:

"I realize that some Councilors were vehemently opposed to the Dems use of our Council funds in this way and want to proceed differently in the future. However, the issue at hand right now is how we can best serve the interests of the Burlington citizens, businesses, and taxpayers, and it is my hope that Mr Richardson will be of help in this endeavor which I believe is our shared goal."

- Terri Hallenbeck

Labels: Burlington City Council, Burlington Telecom