A recent legal battle to keep a South Jacksonville Village President candidate off the ballot has cost village taxpayers nearly $6,700. FOIA requested documents by Village President candidate Tyson Manker made public tonight shows that the Village of South Jacksonville owes $6,695.24 in legal fees to law firm Brown, Hay, and Stephens LLP in Springfield for the objection brought by other Village President candidate Dick Samples to Manker’s candidacy.
The documents do not disclose the hourly rate owed to Roger W. Holmes of the law firm for presiding as the judge over the meeting of the Village’s Electoral Board, nor does it include the hourly rate for the court reporter for the meeting. The itemized list in the documents says the list only includes charges up through the month of January. More charges from the law firm are likely for this month as the case now heads to Morgan County Court tomorrow afternoon.
Manker’s suit against the Village Electoral Board is expected to be heard in court February 10th on whether or not the board’s decision will be overturned, and have Manker’s name restored to the April Consolidated Election Ballot or not.