Settlement In the Works For Legal Fight Between Urbana And Former City Employee

The settlement of a legal dispute between the city of Urbana and a former city accounting supervisor is nearly complete, pending a judge’s approval. 

Liz Walden sued the city after being dismissed from her job about a year ago, without explanation.  Her lawsuit claimed a possible political reason for her firing, because she’s married to Bruce Walden, who was fired as Urbana’s Chief Administrative Officer by Mayor Laurel Prussing in 2007.

But now Liz Walden has agreed to drop her lawsuit and pay the city just over 41-hundred dollars, to settle a counter-suit alleging improper comp time.

Walden’s attorney, Glen Stanko, says that since her dismissal, his client has found a new, comparable job, and wasn’t able to match the city’s deep pockets in fighting the lawsuit.

In a statement, Mayor Prussing called the agreement the most expeditious and lowest cost alternative for the city, while noting it’s rare for the plaintiff to end up paying the defendant.