City Attorney
Christina M. Lucchesi was appointed as the City's first full-time staff City Attorney on July 7, 2026. Lucchesi holds a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University Law School and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a Bachelor of Arts in History.
The City Attorney serves a unique role within municipal government. Unlike private legal counsel retained for a single client or transaction, the City Attorney must provide objective legal advice across a broad range of disciplines while supporting the City's elected officials, boards and commissions, executive leadership, and operational departments. The position requires expertise in areas including:
- Municipal governance
- Open Meetings Law
- Public Records Law
- Labor and employment
- Contracts and procurement
- Construction and development
- Land use and zoning
- Tax Increment Financing
- Public finance
- Risk management
- Litigation oversight
- Ethics
- Economic development
- Public utilities
- Public safety
- Intergovernmental relations
The City Attorney must also possess the judgment, communication skills, and leadership abilities necessary to help prevent legal issues from becoming disputes. The City Attorney must also build productive working relationships throughout the organization while maintaining independent legal judgment and providing objective legal counsel in the best interests of the municipal corporation.
Services:
- Attendance at Common Council, Plan Commission, Community Development Authority, and Board of Review meetings.
- Preparation and review of ordinances and resolutions.
- Legal consultations with staff and elected officials, providing legal opinions as needed.
- Conducting instructional sessions on legal matters.
- Coordinating legal defense strategies for claims against the City.
- Representing the City, its boards, and officers in civil claims and litigation.
- Prosecuting ordinance violations.
- Drafting and reviewing development agreements.
- Preparing and reviewing City contracts upon request.
- Providing legal support services to City boards and commissions, as requested.
