CENTRALIA, IL — Attorneys for Centralia Mayor-elect Bryan Kuder have filed a motion in Marion County Court seeking a default ruling in their client’s favor – a ruling that would place Kuder in the Mayor’s seat. According to attorney Nicole Villani, the motion filed Friday seeks the ruling due to attorneys for the City of Centralia failing to respond to the plaintiff’s petition within 30 days.

The motion states the plaintiff filed an amended complaint on August 15, 2019, and then in February 2020, the court denied a motion by the defendant to dismiss Kuder’s complaint. Friday’s motion says City attorneys have failed to answer or otherwise respond to Kuder’s complaint for more than 30 days and have deprived him of his constitutional and protected rights to the office he won in a certified election.

Kuder was elected Mayor of Centralia in April 2019 but then-City Manager Dan Ramey brought information to the City Council claiming Kuder was ineligible to serve as he did not live within the city limits. The city council subsequently voted to vacate Kuder’s election and appointed Herb Williams to serve as mayor. Kuder filed a suit in Marion County Court seeking a judgment declaring him the duly elected and qualified Mayor of Centralia.

In December 2019, Judge Kimbara Harrell took the case under advisement but has yet to render a ruling in the case and no future court settings have been scheduled.