Within two weeks of the ruling, city officials hired a Salt Lake City law firm to continue what already had been a costly four-year legal battle.

During the next three months, newly obtained documents show, Sandy racked up $14,600 in charges from Snow, Christensen & Martineau. That's on top of the undetermined amount it paid its own attorneys to fight a Salt Lake Tribune request for the records.

According to the documents, the firm discussed strategy with city officials, conducted legal research and drafted memorandums opposing the judge's order for Sandy to pay more than $32,000 in legal fees incurred by the newspaper during the records clash.

Ultimately, Sandy leaders opted to end the battle. After one final half-hour phone call - at a cost to the city of $102.50 - they turned over the records and cut a check to the newspaper for $32,688.

Responding to a Tribune story last week revealing details of the bonus payouts, Sandy spokeswoman Trina Duerksen told the Deseret News the city decided against making the incentive program public on the advice of University of Utah professor and public-policy expert Richard Green.

During a State Records Committee hearing in 2005, Green testified that keeping the bonuses secret would be better for the city. He acknowledged he was not an expert in Utah's public-records law, and the panel ruled against the city.

Sandy paid Green $637 for testifying, according to the recently released pay records.