***Updated to note that Village Attorney John Gilbert was not the attorney for the Police Board when probationary officer Stephen Romanik was terminated on April 1.***

With Caseyville having difficulties paying their creditors on time, the village has incurred a steep rise in attorney fees since Mayor Leonard Black took office.

Caseyville Mayor Len Black / Photo by Roger Starkey

“In most municipalities, if you pay your bills within 45 days, you’re good. We struggle to do that,” Black said.

Part of the issue, he concedes, is a rise in attorney fees. Caseyville paid two previous attorneys a total of $30,273.14 from June 2012 to April 2013, information obtained through the Freedom of Information Act shows. From June 2013 to April 2014, the current village attorneys have billed more than $111,780.35, an increase of 269 percent.

An office spokesperson said one bill from Caseyville Village Attorney John Gilbert has not yet been processed, so the total for Gilbert ($94,267.71) is for invoices received from June 2013 to March 2014.

Gilbert’s pay rate is $185 per hour. Work performed by Gilbert’s assistant at Sandberg Phoenix’s Edwardsville office is billed to Caseyville at $95 per hour. Assistant Village Attorney, Chris Cueto, bills at $150 per hour. Michael Gras, from the Chris Cueto law firm, assists the village in Gilbert’s absence or in other assigned matters.

In comparison, Belleville City Attorney Garrett P. Hoerner receives $54.2964 per hour, Assistant City Clerk Kathy Range said. Edwardsville City Attorney Jeffrey Berkbigler receives $63.92 per hour and Collinsville City Attorney Steve Giacoletto receives $100 per hour.

Black said he removed the former village attorneys because he was not happy with the way things were going in Caseyville. Through his work as a member of the Canteen Creek Drainage District and as the former Caseyville Village Clerk, Black knew Chris Cueto was a good attorney, Black said. He also said he received recommendations for Cueto.

Gilbert was recommended by Cueto, Black said. Cueto is the younger brother of the late Amiel Cueto, a former associate of Bob Romanik. In 1997, Romanik pleaded guilty to lying to a grand jury 150 times to cover for Amiel Cueto. Black called Romanik his friend, but said his friendship had no bearing on choosing Amiel Cueto’s brother as a village attorney.

Black said he first became friends with Romanik “around election time,” when Black was running for mayor in 2013. Black said Romanik did not contribute any money to his election campaign.

“The last thing I would do is take money from someone like that,” Black said. “I’ll take a lie detector on that.”

Gilbert represented Showclubs International Inc in a case dismissed with prejudice in February 2014. Romanik is listed as a consultant for the club and his son, Stephen Romanik, was named as a co-defendant in the Broadcast Music, Inc. et al v. Showclubs International, Inc. et al lawsuit filed on July 16, 2013.

Stephen Romanik was a part-time Caseyville Police officer when the Broadcast Music lawsuit was initiated in federal court. Stephen Romanik and Michael Raymond were appointed as 90-day, temporary police officers at the first Village Board meeting Black served as mayor. Both were granted a 90-day extension in Aug. 2013. Illinois State law (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-16) (from Ch. 24, par. 10-2.1-16) indicates that temporary officers can be assigned for 60 days and up to two times in a calendar year.

Gilbert served as legal counsel to the Caseyville Police Board during two attempts to terminate Stephen Romanik. He was replaced by Chatman & Baricevic on March 26. Romanik was terminated on April 1.

Within 24 hours of each attempt Police Chief Jose Alvarez initiated to terminate Romanik, Black attempted to have Alvarez fired. The timing, Black said, was coincidental.

Black said the issues with Alvarez are a major reason for the increase of at least 269 percent in legal fees over the same period the year prior.

“Getting a special prosecutor for Alvarez cost us a ton,” Black said, referring to Gilbert’s successful efforts to get Special Prosecutor David Rands to press two misdemeanor charges against Alvarez, who is currently on paid, administrative leave (see previous story).

Black initially said he was not sure how the charges were brought against Alvarez. After Gilbert explained to Black that Caseyville Police Sargent Frank Moore had contacted the Illinois State Police, who then went to Village Hall to take statements from Moore and Black, the Mayor understood that he did take part in initiating the investigation.

Gilbert and Caseyville Police Officer Woodrow Q. Hall were also at Village Hall on Feb. 28, when Moore contacted the Illinois State Police about the Feb. 19 incident. Both filed witness statements, in addition to Moore’s and Black’s.

Gilbert spent time gathering evidence and presenting it to St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, requesting that Kelly assign a special prosecutor, Black said. Alvarez is a former employee of Kelly’s, creating a conflict of interest for Kelly and necessitating a special prosecutor.

Black said the situation with Alvarez, who has so far survived multiple attempts by the mayor to fire him or convince the Village Board to fire him, has cost Caseyville “a lot of money” but is “going in the right direction.”

“If the board decides to terminate him or keep him at the next meeting, I’ll go by what they want.” Black said. He clarified that he was referring to a May 21 closed session, personnel discussion he said is on the agenda for a Village Board meeting that evening. No agenda for a meeting on that date has been posted on the Village of Caseyville website.

While Alvarez is on paid leave, Sargent Scott Miller is the acting chief. Miller recalled an officer assigned to the St. Clair County Sheriff Departments Drug Tactical Unit because the overtime the police department had to pay while being short an officer, because of Alvarez’s leave, was “killing us,” Black said.

In a January press release, Sheriff Rick Watson praised the efforts of everyone involved in sweep that month and stressed the importance of agencies working together.

“Most of the houses we went to this morning were in cities an officer is assigned to our Drug Tactical Unit. If these Police Departments are willing to work with our Drug Unit we make every effort to get the drugs off the streets,” Watson said in the statement.

Asked if there is one main reason for the large expenses, he said. “Some of us are not capable of answering without legal advice.”

Black specifically cited Village Clerk Rob Watt asking Gilbert for advice on fulfilling FOIA requests Caseyville receives. “And we’ve had a lot of them lately,” Black said.

The Village employees need to be less reliant on Gilbert, Black said. The mayor said he may also need to take action.

“I’m going to have to do something,” Black said. “If it’s a different rate or a different attorney.”