Supervisors approve payment of drainage attorney bill for joint district, despite concerns

By: 
Erin Sommers Graphic-Advocate Editor

In August, the Calhoun County Board of Supervisors, acting in their drainage trustee capacity, opted not to pay a $240 attorney bill, which was sent to a joint Pocahontas-Calhoun drainage district.
The bill stemmed from a consultation between a Calhoun County landowner and the Pocahontas County drainage attorney, Jim Hudson. Calhoun County supervisors said they weren’t sure the drainage district should be responsible for the bill, because the landowner should have gone to his own attorney with his drainage questions. Particularly at issue, Supervisors Chairman Scott Jacobs said in previous discussions, was that the questions were focused on the landowner’s unhappiness with a settlement offered to him. Pocahontas County Supervisor Louis Stauter said last week he couldn’t remember exactly what the landowner was asking about the separation of land.
“If it’s something personal, I agree, they should call their own attorney,” Stauter said in response to questions from Calhoun County supervisors. “The landowner should not be responsible for (this bill) because we’re the ones that created this.”
At a joint drainage district meeting between supervisors in both counties Sept. 5, the two boards ultimately approved the bill, though not without dissenting comments from Calhoun County supervisors. Jacobs voted against paying the bill; Calhoun County Supervisors Mike Cooper and Carl Legore voted to pay it. 
Read more in the Sept. 13 edition. 

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