AUBURN -- The city's legal counsel may have just been appointed Thursday to a full-time position, but he is not new to the job.

City Manager Mark Palesh announced during Auburn City Council's business meeting that John Rossi will head the corporation counsel office on a full-time basis. Rossi has been working as a part-time attorney for the city since December 2006.

"It has been an interesting challenge, doing this for the past year and a half," Rossi said after the council meeting. "It has been a very enjoyable experience."

The Auburn lawyer started working for the city as part of a legal team that replaced the former city attorney, Thomas Leone, who was elected Cayuga County judge in 2006. City council approved in June a budget that included a corporation counsel office with a full-time attorney, an assistant and a secretary.

Rossi said officials have still not decided whether the office will include a single, full-time assistant or two assistant attorneys working on a part-time basis. He added that Andrew Fusco, who has also worked as part-time counsel for the city, has expressed interest in staying on with the office.

Fusco was not available Thursday evening for comment.

Rossi said he gave a great deal of consideration to the job before deciding to go for the full-time position. When he started, he expected it to be a temporary thing, Rossi said.

"I never thought it would come to this stage," said Rossi, who added he will also be allowed to continue practicing privately on a "very limited" basis.

Read the full report in Thursday's edition of The Citizen.