ATLANTIC BEACH -- Monday, 13th Circuit Court Judge Gary Hill issued a continuance for an election appeal that's kept three Atlantic Beach town candidates out of office.
The candidates who won, Jake Evans, Josephine Isom and Charlene Taylor, are still waiting to take office, while the losing candidates, current Mayor Retha Pierce and Councilwoman Windy Price, run the town.
"I don't think that it was a legal election," said Pierce.
The May election date was set by Governor Nikki Haley. Haley ordered the new election because the town's election commission failed to set a new date after it threw out last November's election results.
Price appealed, saying the town's election commission set May 8th as the new election date.
NewsChannel 15 asked the town's election commission numerous times between November and March if it planned to set an election, and the commission never informed us about that date or publicly announced it to our knowledge.
The first time the commission mentioned May 8th was in March when Governor Haley set the May 22nd date.
In court Monday, Pierce and Price asked for the continuance of their appeals of the May 22nd election - saying they didn't have enough time to prepare. Judge Hill granted the continuance.
Mayor Pierce is representing herself in the appeal.
"We have corruption that has occurred," said Pierce, "and it appears some folks want to stay in office regardless of what."
Jake Evans, who won the mayor's seat in both the original November 2011 election and the May 22nd one ordered by the governor, said both Pierce and Price are stalling.
"I think everybody knows that's what they're after, time," said Evans. "It's not that's been wrong with either one of the elections. They just know as long as they appeal they get to keep their seats."
Pierce and Price's appeals are expected to be heard sometime next week.
Price is being represented by attorney Christy Varnado.
