Chris,
I have been designin Joomla based websites since its first release. First of all, I have to say the budget you have allocated for this job is very low. There might be some offers within the budget, even near the bottom limit of your budget, however this only would cause someone not complete the job, come with additional costs or leave the work without the completion.
First of all, we will need to know the existing template name, and the module itself. We might be able to solve the issue with some script modification, changing the template without affecting site functionality negatively or developing or merging with another template. ... İf you would like to work with me, please provide the site URL, and I will examine the source code, then I can look into the problem with backend access that I will need you to provide the administration credentials. I am new in freelancer, so hoping that I will be able to provide you professional solution with an affordable price and work together in the future as well...
Kind regards,
Atila Aktas