City’s Choice of Law Firms in EPEC Franchise Negotiations is Cause for Concern
October 28, 2008
To the Editor,
Many thanks to Las Cruces City Councilor Sharon Thomas for raising the issue of the law firm contracted by city staff to represent us on the El Paso Electric franchise agreement. Proof of the cozy relationship between top city officials and El Paso Electric is their choice of Keleher & McLeod, an Albuquerque firm that has as one of its biggest clients Public Service of New Mexico, the state’s other large electric utility.
This is an egregious display of poor judgment by City Manager Terrence Moore and his legal department. What experience does Keleher & McLeod have in representing the city end of utility negotiations? What’s their incentive to produce an innovative agreement advantageous to Las Cruces when it could set precedent detrimental to a principal client? Meanwhile there are excellent firms in the state which routinely represent municipalities in these kinds of negotiations.
Mr. Moore dismissed Councilor Thomas’s objections, saying it is his prerogative to make such decisions. If this is an example of his conduct of city business, I hope he won’t be making decisions for us much longer.
Charlotte Lipson
Las Cruces
Comments
Got something to say?
Social Widgets powered by AB-WebLog.com.