City Of St. Mary’s Search For Prosecutor Tabled Until Next Month

The city of St. Mary still is looking for an attorney.

After the board agreed in June to hire Ste. Genevieve-based Jacquelyn Gonz as the city’s prosecutor, Gonz declined the job for family reasons, city clerk David Woods reported in the meeting minutes.

The prosecutor proposal was on the agenda for last Thursday’s meeting but it was tabled with no discussion.

The St. Mary board has in hand a proposal from Jefferson County-based Wegmann Law Firm, which serves as city attorney for Ste. Genevieve and has an office in that city.

But Woods reported that Jeremy Brauer, who serves the city of Ste. Genevieve as prosecutor, had been contacted and was putting together a proposal.

Gonz, who had provided legal services for the city previously when she was with Elpers and Gonz, submitted a proposal of $100 per hour for attorney services and $50 per hour for clerical work.

The city had been paying $85 per hour for attorney and clerical services from Duke Nguyen, who submitted his resignation in April.

Wegmann Law Firm’s proposal starts at $150 per hour this year and increases $5 per hour per year on renewal.

The attorney primarily works in prosecuting cases in the municipal court, which in October will be switched to the Circuit Court. Woods said the electronic filing related to that change will result in more work for the prosecutor.

See complete story in the July 17 edition of the Herald.