Commissioner Angelo Castillo said the resulting lawsuits are the price of doing the government’s business.

Mayor Frank Ortis said the specter of runaway legal costs deterred him from voting to cancel water and service to the detention facility. Copy

Vice Mayor Carl Shechter was the only elected official to vote with the mayor against cancelling the contract to provide water and sewer service. Madalina Iordache Levay / S-S

Former Commissioner Jack McCluskey had expressed doubts that cancelling the contracts would hald the federal detention center. He was defeated at the polls by Jay Schwartz. Copy

Jay Schwartz was elected over incumbent Jack McCluskey. Schwartz later voted with the commission majority to cancel the fire-rescue, emergency medical, water and sewer service contract.

Commissioner Iris Siple said the ill effects from a future immigration detention facility far outweigh the legal cost of opposing it.