Latest news with #FiscalCourt
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
KY attorney general says Fayette school board didn't give public notice before tax vote
(Fayette County Public Schools) Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman's office says the Fayette County Public Schools board failed to give proper public notice before voting to increase occupational taxes within the district. The opinion released Wednesday said the board violated state open meetings laws, which says school districts must publish a notice about tax proposals in a local newspaper at least a week before meeting to vote on the proposal. The attorney general's office also refuted a recent claim by the school district to local media outlets that the state law doesn't apply to the tax increase because it is a 'county-level tax' also needing approval from the Fayette County Fiscal Court. The opinion said state law 'expressly recognizes that levying an occupational license tax is a power shared jointly by the School Board and the Fiscal Court.' It adds that a fiscal court vote could not happen unless the school board 'certified' the new tax rate. 'Accordingly, when the School Board properly certifies a new rate, the Fiscal Court's role is ministerial; the discretion and decision-making power lies with the School Board — which is why it is the body that must give public notice prior to voting on whether to impose the additional tax,' the opinion said. 'Therefore, it is the opinion of this Office that the Fayette County School Board's May 27 vote to increase the occupational license tax was unlawful.' The board voted 3-2 to approve the tax increase of 0.25% about a week ago. The tax rate would have taken effect in January. The board approved a $848 million proposed budget with the tax increase that would cost residents an average of $13 more per month, local media outlets reported. However, Coleman's office wrote the resolution for the tax increase 'is void and of no effect.' 'Tax and spend government is a danger to Kentucky's future, especially when officials who should be accountable to Fayette County voters try to ignore the rules to raise taxes,' Coleman said in a statement. 'If the Fayette County School Board members believe they need more of Kentuckians' hard-earned dollars, they should clearly and publicly make their case before their own constituents.' Based in Lexington, Fayette County Public Schools is the second largest school district in the state with more than 41,000 students. Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, a Lexington Republican, requested Coleman's office review the legality of the school board's vote. 'This validates what so many in our community, including myself, felt: Taxpayers were shut out of a huge decision about their own tax dollars,' Bledsoe said. 'I'm calling on the Fiscal Court to take no action today and for the school board to remedy this misuse of its authority. The board should table any further discussion of a tax increase until trust can be restored.' Consideration of the school board's tax increase request is on the agenda for the fiscal court's Thursday meeting. An FCPS representative did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Wednesday.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pulaski Fiscal Court to receive more than $2.5 million in state road aid
TJ Adkins Pulaski County Extension Agent T.J. Adkins updates Fiscal Court on the Extension Office's upcoming budget, as well as when their new building may be completed. Pulaski County will be receiving funds from several different sources to help with fixing damaged roads. Fiscal Court approved several resolutions during its Tuesday meeting, including one that would accept more than $2.5 million from the state in road aid. That money will be available beginning July 1, the new fiscal year. Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd said that the state will be giving the county a total of $2,566,585. 'This is $170,000 more than we have in the current year, so it is somewhat of an increase,' he said. The county also will receive $10,150 in funds from the Lake Cumberland Area Development District (LCADD) as part of their Safe Streets and Roads program. 'We have to do a little data collection on the roads, but the state highway does some of that for us, and the ADD is doing it for us,' Todd said. He added that the state will send the county a list of the roads they feel need improvement to prevent wrecks, but that it doesn't mandate the county do anything to fix them. Another source of income for road repairs will be through flex funds, of which there will be $523,000. Todd said that is a little more than $50,000 than what they have in the current fiscal year. As part of Tuesday's meeting, the court heard from T.J. Adkins of the Pulaski County Extension Office. Adkins presented the court with its planned budget for the next fiscal year, saying it is similar to the current budget. When asked about the extension office's share of property tax, Adkins said the office is taking the 'compensating rate' for the new year, meaning they will take a rate in which they will take in as much money as they did for this fiscal year. Due to that, their share of the property tax rate will come down. Adkins was also asked about the new Pulaski County Extension Office being built between Ky. 914 and Oak Hill Road. 'We're inching closer and closer (to being finished), if mother nature would cooperate just a little bit more,' Adkins said, adding that there have been 'minor setbacks' due to weather, such as lightning striking the building. The hope is to be moved into the office in the next three to four weeks he said. The new building will offer educational opportunities just as the office has in the past, he said. Agents will be able to give advice or conduct classes on subjects such as canning, growing a garden, raising cattle or even how to set up a roadside vegetable stand. An open house for the new office is scheduled for May 20, Adkins said. Head Start Children from Lake Cumberland Head Start led Fiscal Court in the Pledge of Allegiance to start Tuesday's meeting. Also at Tuesday's meeting: – Pulaski County Clerk Tim Price asked the court for permission to get upgrades to the county's voting equipment from Harp Enterprises. This would be upgrades or repairs such as replacing batteries. The court approved paying the invoice for the work when it is completed. – Price also presented the court a check for $1,800, which he said was cash from the drawers of the nine workers who were laid off in February. – Children from Lake Cumberland Head Start led the meeting by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Daviess County GOP holding reorganizational meeting
Daviess County Republicans will meet Saturday in the Fiscal Court meeting room at the Daviess County Courthouse to elect both precinct leadership and its executive committee. The meeting is part of the Republican Party of Kentucky's quadrennial reorganization. 'It falls on the year following a presidential election,' said Darin Tapp, chairman of the Daviess County Republicans. 'In that process, all across Kentucky, every precinct, county, district and all of the state Republican Party leadership positions are up for re-election. Basically, we have the opportunity to keep the leaders we want to keep, or replace them with new leadership, from the precinct level to county to district and all the way to the state level. And, all of this will transpire over the next few months, culminating in the (Republican Party of Kentucky) meeting where we vote on all new leadership for the state party. 'It's a pivotal, critical part of self-governance. It's where you really get the grassroots efforts involved and people's voices can be heard most directly to their representatives, especially at the precinct and county level.' This will be the first time Daviess County Republicans will participate in the reorganization in more than a decade, since the Daviess County Republicans had largely ceased to exist when Tapp became involved in the party in 2021. 'Me and a bunch of friends of mine were looking to get involved, and we could not find an established GOP,' Tapp said. 'We started looking in 2021. We did find some of the old leadership, but they had not kept up with their meetings and turning in minutes to the RPK, so there was no official party organization when we finally got ahold of some people that used to run it. We talked them into reforming the county GOP, along with my friends, and that's how we all got started back into this. 'We had meetings, we had votes, we voted in all new officers, and probably started out with 12 or 13 precinct captains, and we have since grown that many times over.' Anyone who was a registered Republican on Oct. 8, 2024, is qualified to be considered for a position and eligible to vote. The first vote will be for precinct leadership positions — captains, co-captains and youth chairmen. Candidates for youth chairmen must be 40 years old or younger. There are 57 precincts in Daviess County. Once precinct voting is completed, those elected for precinct leadership will then vote on the executive committee. Tapp said the current executive committee, which in addition to himself includes Andy Gamblin (vice chairman), Tonya Murphy (secretary), Jason Potts (treasurer) and Titus Willis (youth chairman), are being presented as a slate for re-election, and no other candidates have filed for the positions. 'The way the RPK rules read, they have to submit their name for consideration four days prior to the reorganization meeting to be considered (for an executive committee position)' Tapp said. 'I can tell you, nobody else has submitted their name to us. So, it will be an up or down vote on the slate of current leadership.' If the vote on the executive committee is to dissolve the current leadership, then people can be nominated for those positions. Each nominated candidate will have three minutes to speak about what they would bring to the position, then a vote would again be held among the precinct leadership for each executive committee position. Tapp said he feels confident the current executive committee will be re-elected. 'We didn't have any challengers submit their name to be considered,' he said. 'Unless there are some people who don't like the direction of the party and are going to show up and vote us down. But I really don't foresee that happening.' Doors for the meeting will open at 9:30 a.m., with sign-in/check-in starting at 9:45 a.m. and closing at 10:15 a.m., unless there are still people in line, which would extend the timeframe to process them in. The meeting will begin immediately after sign-in/check-in is complete, with Tapp expecting the meeting to last until 1 p.m. if the executive committee slate is re-elected or 2 p.m. if individual votes are required. 'This is a grassroots movement that is primarily comprised of what used to be low propensity voters and people that have left the Democratic Party, which we can see by people switching in the voter roles, and new Republican voters that were tired of the direction of the old Republican Party,' Tapp said. 'If people like what they're seeing with our new Republican Party, we highly encourage them to come, take action, have their voices heard and be a part of this new movement, because local action does equal national impact. We've proven that.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Expanded Trash for Cash program launches in Daviess County
HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – The Daviess County Fiscal Court has announced an expanded Trash for Cash program for 2025. According to a flyer, officials are encouraging people to sign up and collect roadside litter and raise money for a non-profit organization. Officials state applications are being accepted. Groups can expect to be assigned five miles, including both sides of a road, with a reimbursement of $130 each mile. Officials also state applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. The Fiscal Court will assign a date and route based on the preferences in the application. Click here for more information, and to report roadside litter on a county road or state highway outside of the Owensboro area, click here. Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Jailer: Grant will help released inmates receive medical care
Leaving prison can be as stressful an experience as it is joyful — there are a lot of considerations that go into starting one's life over, including finding the right doctor. The Pulaski County Detention Center is aware of that, and with the help of the Pulaski County Fiscal Court, is trying to take that item off the to-do list of its departing inmates. Jailer Anthony McCollum introduced the Fiscal Court on Tuesday to Tracey Antle, Chief Operating Officer for Cumberland Family Medical Center, a federally qualified health center with offices in Russell County and a coverage scope of several counties, including Pulaski. Antle informed the court that Cumberland Family Medical Center had the opportunity to apply for a grant last summer that would allow them to provide transitional services for detainees as they leave the detention center, in the 90 days prior to their release. 'We're not coming into the jail to replace anything they're already doing; they're already doing a great job, they already have a really strong reentry program,' said Antle. 'This grant would just allow us to help those folks reenter the community more successfully by making sure that when they get out they have a doctor that they can go to. 'A lot of times, you leave a detention center and you're getting your medications for your diabetes or your heart disease or whatever you may have ... and you leave (and) you don't have a doctor anymore,' she added. 'You know how hard it is to make an appointment at a doctor's office sometimes. So we want to work with those folks to make sure that as they leave, they can — the very day, even — come into a clinic somewhere and get the medications they need to be healthy.' Antle said Cumberland Family will also help connect those leaving the detention center with any mental health treatments they may need, including family counseling and substance abuse counseling. According to information provided by Cumberland Family Medical Center in a release, studies show that as many as 80% of individuals released from incarceration have either or both chronic medical and substance use conditions. Nearly half of those entering incarceration meet the criteria for having a substance use disorder and struggle to access and afford medication assisted and other substance use disorder treatments upon release. There is no billing for anything, said Antle, and the service comes at no cost to the jail or county as a result of the grant, known as the Quality Improvement Fund- Transitions in Care for Justice-Involved Population award, funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services via the Health Resources and Services Administration. The goal is 'to see if we can take these folks as they leave incarceration and help them make a more seamless transition back into the community through jobs, through health care, through behavioral health ... whatever their needs are, to make them return to the community more quickly, more safely, and in a more productive manner.' The fiscal court approved the Memorandum of Understanding needed to help the deal go through. The detention center will provide space for a program director along with other providers that will be coming and going. The two-year grant can be renewed after that period, and can be terminated with a 60 day notice. 'This pays the full salary and the full benefit package of the employee we already had doing it, so I think it's a win-win for the county,' said McCollum. 'I try to put a lot of emphasis on our reentry programs for the inmates, to get them educated as far as having a GED or some type of diploma, or something to where they can enter the work force once they're released from the detention center,' added the jailer to the fiscal court. Also at the fiscal court meeting on Tuesday, the court approved an updated electrical inspector ordinance upon its second reading. The ordinance adds in a $25 permit fee that inspectors had been charging but wasn't in the previous version of the ordinance, and the court also approved four new electrical inspectors to work on behalf of the county. 'We had to re-do the ordinance which hadn't been done since 2017,' Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd explained to the Commonwealth Journal. 'The electrical inspectors that we had at a time, one is going into semi-retirement and the other is already gone away, so we were down an inspector for the county basically, so we had to revisit and update the ordinance, and then we had to clarify ... at least one fee on the fee structure, which the county doesn't get, it just goes to the electrical inspectors themselves.' The four inspectors approved included Jackie Spears of Wayne County, McCreary County's Larry Strunk, Lincoln County's Michael Ledger, and Ron Ebling locally. Also approved by the court was a resolution authorizing the completion and filing of a Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation Program project application for up to $50,000 to help with a community development block grant housing project. Back in September, the court passed the original resolution to help the Lake Cumberland Area Development District move ahead with the purchase of 86 apartment units in Pulaski County, over four different complexes. With a total project cost of $600,000, the first resolution covered $540,000 of that in federal funds, and the new resolution covers all but $10,000 of the remainder, and there's a solution for that too. 'They've already been awarded a $10,000 pre-development cost grant,' said Todd. 'It's a 4 % match. So all the $600,000 is now approved.' Some of the existing apartment units to be acquired and refurbished for eventual use by low-income seniors will be located on Hail Knob Road and on University Drive, as well as another location. The non-profit Ezekial Foundation will be the owner of the facilities, but the project's funding is going through Lake Cumberland Area Development District offices. Pulaski County Government is serving as a pass-through agency for the grant.
