How much is this costing taxpayers?

I want to thank you for the Aug. 31 editorial regarding the labor dispute between the Snohomish County Clerks’ Association and the county executive’s office.

In your editorial you stated that Executive Aaron Reardon should not appeal the decision. The Snohomish County Council has written a letter to the executive stating they will not support his appeal.

Unfortunately, he did. Now briefs are due and they cost at least $10,000 for any good attorney to produce them. I have an open question. Eighty-two members had our own attorney on a retainer. We each paid a certain amount monthly, just to cover his retainer. He didn’t bill us his usual fee, which would reach $68,000 by the end of his contract.

The county executive’s attorney wasn’t from the civil department of our prosecutor’s office because of the conflict of interest. He chose a private Seattle attorney, Mr. Hannah of Perkins-Coie. Their billable hour is around $300. The Public Employment Relations Commission hearings took nearly four months to complete. Just one motion from Mr. Hannah’s office was 55 pages. During an extensive hearing, Snohomish County government was billed for the executive’s attorney. I am pretty sure the funds came out of the county’s budget, did they not? I don’t know how to access the public disclosure for these records, but I do wonder how much it cost the Snohomish County citizens in taxes.

SHIRLEY JOHNSTON