The Springfield City Council voted yesterday to accept free legal services to strengthen its position in its longstanding battle with Mayor Domenic Sarno over a citizen police commission.
The City Council has been trying to get the commission to oversee the police department re-established several times over the last few years, but Sarno has said having a police commissioner is the way to do things.
Sarno said yesterday he intends to stick with the existing Community Police Hearing Board and said he will revise a proposed ordinance to allow the board to have subpoena powers, but the Council has opposed that idea before.
The Council and the Mayor have been at odds for years over whether the Police Board or the Mayor should have the hiring and firing power.