City spent $40K to defend benefits

Brownsville taxpayers have paid more than just the $300,000 in benefits city commissioners received. The city has also spent $40,853 in legal fees for contract attorney Mark Sossi to defend those benefits in court.

The figure does not account for the work done on the case by City Attorney Jim Goza and Assistant City Attorney John Chosy, who are salaried employees.

After almost a year in litigation, state District Judge Janet L. Leal ruled last week that mayors and commissioners are not entitled to insurance benefits and that car allowances and cell phone use must be justified.

Public records reflect that city payments to Sossi for legal fees were payable to "The Good Government Firm" with an address at 3 North Park Plaza.

Public records show the billing was from March 1, 2007, through Jan. 28 this year. Taxpayers filed the lawsuit against the city and commissioners March 13, 2007.

Sossi said that he does business under the firm's name in place of his corporation. State Comptroller records reflect that Sossi's corporation is not in good standing with the state because it has not satisfied all franchise tax requirements. Sossi said he knew nothing of this and would look into it.

Goza said that outside legal work has been dramatically reduced. "We always try to be cost conscious," Goza said.

The city has not yet responded to The Brownsville Herald's request of several weeks for payments to all contract attorneys.