Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hudson Common Council May 15, chose to table its discussion of a planned override of Mayor Rick Rector’s veto of a resolution that would have allowed the council to hire its own attorney. The mayor and the council are currently served by the same lawyer. No conflict between the council and mayor prompted the decision to hire an independent attorney, Common Council President Tom DePietro said. Some aldermen in April expressed the opinion that retaining a separate attorney might be necessary to make it clear that the council is an equal branch of city government. Rector's predecessor budgeted $20,000 for the current fiscal year explicitly for the purpose of funding an attorney to represent the Common Council on an as-needed basis. Earlier this year, in keeping with the mayor’s campaign slogan of “One Hudson,” Rector and DePietro agreed that one attorney was sufficient for the mayor's office and Common Council. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.