A failed Democratic City Council candidate has been waging a four-year court battle with campaign-finance officials in a bid to hang on to thousands of taxpayer dollars she allegedly handed out improperly to a top staffer after her election.

Meryl Brodsky, a Manhattan Democratic district leader who lost a four-way primary for an Upper East Side council seat in 2005, still owes more than $11,000, from a total of $35,000, the Campaign Finance Board says.

Brodsky came in third in the race won by Dan Garodnick and got $55,000 in matching funds from the board.

Although she eventually repaid $26,000, Brodsky went to court in 2007 to argue the expenses were legitimate — and that the money for her treasurer was based on the work she expected he would have to do preparing for a campaign-finance audit. She lost, and also lost her appeal of the decision.