Stephen Byron named village’s new solicitor

“Mr. Byron has a wealth of knowledge of municipal law and we felt he was our best candidate to handle the issues facing North Perry.” — North Perry Village Council President Mike Cutler

North Perry Village has appointed attorney Stephen Byron as its new solicitor.

Village Council approved Byron’s hiring at its Feb. 6 meeting.

Byron fills the vacancy left by attorney Joseph Gurley, who stepped down in late 2019.

Gurley had served as North Perry’s law director for 17 years.

Six applicants aiming to succeed Gurley were interviewed by Village Council. Byron stood out as the top choice to serve as the village’s new legal counsel, said Council President Mike Cutler.

“Mr. Byron has a wealth of knowledge of municipal law and we felt he was our best candidate to handle the issues facing North Perry,” Cutler said.

Mayor Ed Klco also said he felt that Byron was the top applicant of the halfdozen who interviewed.

“He’s a good choice for (legal) counsel,” Klco said.

Byron is a principal with the Cleveland law firm of Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA.

His biography on the firm’s website says that Byron “holds unparalleled insight on the wide range of problems unique to government entities, such as compliance with open-meeting and public record requirements, analyzing risks of liability for governmental action, and the drafting and administration of defensible zoning laws.”

In addition to North Perry, Byron serves as law director for the city of Pepper Pike, and the villages of Waite Hill, Hunting Valley, and Orange.

Byron said he looks forward to working with North Perry government leaders.

“I’m pleased to be here,” he said at the Feb. 6 council meeting.