Flew out of town for a job interview with a municipality. They were incredibly eager and ready to hire me that second.
On the application, they asked me for salary expectations. I put a number that's less than their max on the posted range. After the interview process, they told me they'd match my salary expectation, but later when I get the offer letter, they offer me $5k less than that number. I call my contact and ask why, and they tell me its just bureaucracy and red tape. I would need to just send them an email saying I want more, and I would get it and we move along. I send the email letting them know I'm excited and willing, just that I wanted a discussion on the base rate. I didn't reject it, because I wouldn't have.
A few days later, I get an email saying that they're going with someone else AFTER making me an offer (that I didn't reject).
I'm confused. I call my contact and leave a VM letting him know that I'm confused. He doesn't even bother calling me back and instead sends me an email reiterating that they're going with someone else. I don't reply. That was a few days ago.
I haven't quit my current job, but I had a whole bunch of stuff lined up to relocate and now I have to stay longer. Nothing I can really pin on them financially though aside from maybe signing a new lease.
Can I legally hold their feet to the fire on this just for getting my hopes up?