East Central Reporter

The RIDES Mass Transit District has no right to the remaining funds from the sale of the East Central Illinois Mass Transit District (ECMTD) no matter how many complaints it files, the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) argued recently.

On its Illinois Leaks website, the ECW reported that RIDES filed a motion to file a second amended complaint on its ongoing lawsuit with and Edgar County. The court gave RIDES until August 1 to file the complaint. Edgar County will then have until August 29 to respond.

The county and RIDES have tussled over the funds from the sale of the ECMTD assets since 2013, when RIDES alleged that it was to receive the money. ECW co-founder Jim Kraft quoted the Local Mass Transit District Act, which requires that those funds go back to the county treasury.

RIDES CEO Bill Jung

RIDES sued Edgar County for $152,150.39 in December 2016, and the county filed a motion to dismiss the case. The hearing was held in January. Edgar County's motion was denied under one section of law but granted under another section. RIDES was given 21 days to file an amended complaint.

While RIDES apparently missed the court-mandated deadline, it filed an amended complaint in the Edgar County Circuit Court on Feb. 9. Edgar County had another hearing scheduled for its motion to dismiss the first amended complaint, but the motion to file the second amended complaint caused the July 12 hearing to be vacated.