Kris Boevingloh is in debt $9,074.80 after running for former state Rep. Don Calloway’s seat in April, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.
His main campaign talking point was being a voluntary soldier in the Northeast Ambulance and Fire Protection district battle. But it was not enough to beat his opponent Clem Smith.
“I volunteered countless hours of my time providing insight and free legal work to the community trying to clean up the Fire District,” Boevingloh stated in his campaign literature that he left on the doors of North County residents.
Boevingloh and Calloway, both attorneys, filed for a temporary restraining order on the fire district’s spending on Oct. 20, 2009, representing Kevin Buchek, the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Village of Bel-Nor.
The court order is still in full effect. The district can’t spend a dime without the St. Louis County Circuit Court’s approval.
Now a year later, after his “volunteer hours” and “free legal work to the community” did not win over voters, Boevingloh has asked the district for $14,500 in attorney fees.
On Dec. 3, Boevingloh filed a motion for attorney fees that details all the work he put into the TRO case from Oct. 20, 2009 to March 22, 2010 at $190 per hour. (The full bill is below.)
State Rep.-Elect Clem Smith said as a tax paying citizen in the Northeast Fire district, he was disappointed to hear about the motion.
“This is a complete contradiction of what Mr. Boevingloh and some of his supporters told residents when he was on the campaign trail,” Smith said.
“I can’t understand how you can be the self-proclaimed savior of the Northeast Fire District, then attempt to raid its coffers? He claimed his work was ‘pro bono,’ and ‘volunteer,’ but I guess definitions change when you‘re not on the campaign trail.”
At the beginning of the year, members of the fire district feared that it might go bankrupt. As of October, district accountant James Rose said the district was ahead of budget.
Now that the district is stable, why does Boevingloh need that money?, asked Mayor of Normandy Patrick Green.
“Kris did take on the task to help the community,” Green said. “The question is now – is it appropriate to ask for taxpayers’ money to compensate for that?”
Green said that Boevingloh told him early on that he was taking on the case pro bono.
The person in charge of granting this request is the court’s Special Master Booker T. Shaw, a lawyer at the Thompson Coburn law firm. Calloway was also once an attorney at Thompson Coburn.
Derek Mays, chairman of the Northeast district board, and board member Bridget Quinlisk Dailey were among Boevingloh’s biggest supporters in his campaign, according to his campaign literature.
At a Dec. 8 meeting, Mays and Dailey voted to pass a motion to approve $5,000 of Boevingloh’s attorney fees. Board member Rhea Willis voted against the motion.
“I remember him stating that it was his civic duty,” Willis said. “This just opens the door for others to come and request money for their involvement in the district. It’s politics – that’s all it is to me.”
Smith questions what Boevingloh’s motives for intervening in 2009.
“Residents were told the TRO was to curb excessive spending, not to freeze district funds so future billings could be covered,” Smith said. “The fire district can use this money on life-saving items, like purchasing medicine and replacing old equipment.”
“The citizens have had enough, all of the double talk and deceit has to stop,” Smith said. “I have a feeling this won’t be the last attempt to hijack taxpayers money.”
Boevingloh’s Bill to the Northeast fire district
As listed in a Dec. 3, 2010 motion to the St. Louis County Circuit Court
10/20/2009 Applied for TRO, NEFD Meeting 2
10/21/2009 Hearing 1.5
10/22/2009 TRO Hearing 2.9
10/26/2009 Review Appeal 0.6
10/26/2009 Motion to Disqualify 1.5
10/27/2009 Mandamus Denied 0.6
10/28/2009 Motion for Contempt Etc 1.1
10/28/2009 Hearing 1.6
10/29/2009 Motion to Disqualify 0.6
10/30/2009 Motion for NEFD attorney’s filed 1
10/30/2009 Hearing Preliminary Injunction 4.8
11/2/2009 Letter from Supreme Court 0.6
11/2/2009 Call from Truman Bank Attorney 0.7
11/3/2009 Review Proposed Order 0.7
11/3/2009 District Meeting 2
11/4/2009 First Amended Petition Filed 1.5
11/5/2009 Special Meeting 1
11/6/2009 Motion for Contempt Etc 1
11/10/2009 Hearing 4.2
11/19/2009 Hearing 2.9
11/20/2009 Stipulation re Payments 0.6
11/23/2009 Meeting tried to dissolve TRO 5.4
11/24/2009 Interpleaded Filed 1
11/24/2009 Court for injunction to re-freeze accounts 1
11/25/2009 Discussion with Attorney for bank, etc 1.3
12/2/2009 Discussion with Attorney 0.6
12/3/2009 Review Motion to Dismiss 0.6
12/7/2009 Discussion Vatterott 1
12/11/2009 Hearing 2.9
12/14/2009 Review Court Order 0.4
12/18/2009 Order naming special master 1
12/30/2009 Reviewed Special Master order 0.6
12/21/2009 Court order 0.6
1/4/2010 Writ Denial 0.6
1/6/2010 Emails about pay and bank issues 0.8
1/8/2010 Hearing 3.8
1/14/2010 Emails mainly from Special Master, etc 0.6
1/15/2010 Hearing 2.8
1/18/2010 Review Order 0.6
1/25/2010 Review Request for Fees 1
1/29/2010 Hearing 3
2/5/2010 Hearing 3
2/10/2010 Motion to join 1.5
2/11/2010 Hearing to name new board 2
2/26/2010 Hearing 1
3/2/2010 Review ruling 0.6
3/9/2010 Review ruling 0.6
3/9/2010 NEFD meeting 1.5
3/10/2010 Joint motion 1
3/12/2010 Hearing 1.5
3/22/2010 Review ruling 0.6
TOTAL HOURS 76.3
RATE (Reduced) $190
TOTAL FEES $14,497