CENTRALIA — The Illinois Attorney General’s  (AG) office has opened an inquiry into an alleged open meeting violation by the city of Centralia for turning people away from the April 23rd City Council meeting after the chambers had reportedly reached fire code capacity.

Centralia City Councilman David Sauer reportedly received an email from the AG’s office seeking additional information on the issue and noting that the Illinois’ Open Meetings Act requires meetings to be held at “places which are convenient and open to the public.”

A request has also been made for copies of the agenda, minutes, and any open session recordings from the April 23rd meeting.

The city has been given seven working days to provide the information. Centralia resident and one-time city council candidate Ted Johnson filed the complaint with the Attorney General’s office.

In similar news, former Centralia mayoral candidate Vernell Burris has filed a request with the AG’s Office for a decision on the recent election and appointment of an interim Centralia City mayor.

Burris claims he should be the rightful mayor after the city council found Mayor-elect Bryan Kuder ineligible to hold the seat due to residency requirements and that the second place vote-getter, Howard Jones, has allegedly said he is not interested in the seat.

He says the council’s decision to appoint Herb Williams as interim mayor violates state statute as Williams did not appear on the ballot and therefore has not received any votes from Centralia residents.

Burris says if the AG’s office does not act on the matter, he will file a lawsuit seeking a ruling.

Kuder has his own ongoing lawsuit seeking to have the council’s decision to vacate his election overruled.