Niles Township has a new attorney.
About a month after the township accepted the resignation of former attorney Mary LaSata Spiegel, it voted to make John Lohrstorfer of Bauckham, Sparks, Lohrstorfer, Tall & Seeber, P.C. out of Kalamazoo its new counsel.
The board approved the hire by a 4-2 vote Monday with Township Supervisor Jim Kidwell and trustee August Kuehn voting no.
Spiegel’s resignation came soon after township resident Shane Daniel filed a lawsuit against Spiegel, Township Treasurer Jim Ringler and Clerk Marge Durm-Hiatt for civil conspiracy.
Daniel alleges they violated the Open Meetings Act in order to cover up an investigation of possible misconduct by Ringler.
Spiegel is Durm-Hiatt’s niece, a reason why Kidwell voted against hiring her last December.