Etowah County Circuit Judge William Rhea on Wednesday denied a motion to reconsider his Aug. 7 ruling regarding three municipal candidates removed from the ballot for failing to file statements of economic interest at the same time they qualified to run.

During a hearing that day, attorney Cynthia Raulston, of the state Ethics Commission, said the candidates were responsible for knowing when such statements were due and getting them in on time.

Warren Dates and Katherine Hood, both candidates for City Council seats, claimed the city clerk told them they had five days to file the forms.

Michael Shell, a candidate for mayor, said he filed his form one day later, but did so because it was too late to file the form with the Ethics Commission after he qualified to run. He said there is an allowance for more time if a candidate shows cause for the late filing; he believed he had cause.

During the hearing, Rhea heard from attorneys for all the candidates and from Raulston before decided that he didn’t need to hear testimony from the candidates or the clerk about any conversations that might have occurred.

Raulston said the Ethics Commission presumed candidates knew the rules when they qualified for office.

Attorneys for the candidates cited other cases — including that of Republican House District 30 candidate B. Craig Lipscomb — where candidates did not file a statement of economic interest at the same time they qualified, yet were allowed to stay on the ballot.