Newly appointed chief county solicitor, attorney Cal Shields, picks up the reins from outgoing Chief Solicitor Eric Mica to represent the Schuylkill County Commissioners in their legal battle with Controller Melinda Kantner.

Dropped on his desk was a petition filed by Kantner in the county court to compel one of the three commissioners, County Administrator Mark Scarbinsky and Samuel Deegan, hired by the commissioners to perform an external audit of the county finances, to submit to depositions to be taken to show the procedure used in hiring Deegan.In her petition Kantner refers to a rule issued by Judge John E. Domalakes ordering the commissioners to produce documents requested by Kantner.Kantner's petition was in response to a mandamus action filed in court by the commissioners to order Kantner pay a balance of $4,800 to Deegan for preparing the audit. Kantner had withheld the money to pay another auditor whom she claimed completed the report she had to file to court and to the state.Kantner is requesting the production of all emails and documents relating to meetings of the audit committee assembled by the county to review, analyze and make recommendation regarding hiring a CPA firm in connection with the preparing an annual county financial audit.