County board appoints new corporation counsel

Oneida County has new legal counsel.
During its Sept. 16 meeting, the Oneida County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the appointment of attorney Chad Lynch to the position of corporation counsel. He is scheduled to begin his new job on Oct. 20.
Lynch has experience in Oneida County, having served as assistant corporation counsel from April 2021 to December 2023. He is currently serving as Vilas County’s corporation counsel, a position he’s held since December 2023.
Lynch succeeds Mike Fugle who resigned in late August after holding the position for just over four years.
According to the resolution outlining the appointment process, the chairpersons of the county’s public safety and executive committees met jointly with the county board chair to “consider options for filling the vacancy and directed the Labor Relations Employee Services Department to conduct a recruitment to fill the position.”

An interview team comprised of the public safety chair, executive committee chair, county board chair, HR director and administrative coordinator, interviewed all qualified candidates for the position and unanimously selected Lynch, the resolution states.
The corporation counsel serves as the primary legal counsel for the county, its committees and departments. The corporation counsel advises and represents the county in all civil, administrative, and regulatory matters including prosecuting zoning ordinance and various other civil ordinance violations, as well as representing the public in court on child protection cases, guardianships, and involuntary mental, drug, and alcohol commitments.
There was no discussion prior to the county board vote on the appointment. After the vote was recorded, members of the county board offered Lynch a round of applause.
A graduate of the Hamline University School of Law, Lynch is married to Oneida County district attorney Jillian Pfeifer.