Barren County Fiscal Court approves ordinances

By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1

The Barren County Fiscal Court met today, Oct. 20, in a brief special-called meeting to approve the second reading of three county ordinances. Six magistrates were present; Jeff Botts was absent.

Kentucky Revised Statute 67A. 070(3) a second reading is required for “urban-county government legislative bodies” unless two-third vote to suspend that requirement. The three county ordinances underwent their first readings during the Oct. 17 meeting of the fiscal court and, in order to put them in place, a special meeting was called.

The first ordinance, 686, amended ordinance 385’s fourth section that allows the Barren County Sheriff’s Office — which collects the volunteer fire department fees that are on the county property tax bills — to retain 2.7 percent of the money collected. The amendment comes from a Kentucky law that states that the sheriff “shall…set a collection fee for the sheriff to retain an amount” that was passed in 2003. The 2.7 percent retention equates to roughly $1.35 of the $50 collected.

“We just have to remember there’s a lot of things that come from Frankfort that dictate ‘We don’t have a lot of choice other than to pass it on and do,’” Magistrate Brad Groce said. “It’s not that we want to but…our hands are kind of tied.”

Some magistrates, like Tim Durham and Ronnie Stinson, said “they hated this for the fire departments” but Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd told the court that they had approved the line item in their budget that goes to volunteer fire departments to be increased to approximately $88,000 to “to make sure everyone gets the same amount as usual.”

Nevertheless, Magistrate Ronnie Stinson said he would not vote in favor of the ordinance.

“I don’t like this in any way shape or form,” Stinson said. “I know it’s a state mandate; I know it’s the state that created this policy not you sheriff and I appreciate that, but this is wrong and part of what the state does is wrong. I know we gotta do it but I still don’t like it.”

A roll call vote revealed three magistrate — Stinson, Durham and Derek Pedigo — voted against the second reading while three — Tim Coomer, Marty Kinslow and Groce — voted for its passage leaving Byrd to break the tie. The ordinance passed with her yea vote.

The second ordinance involved formally accepting the two building codes in an effort to get expanded jurisdiction. Pedigo and Stinson, who had previously expressed his displeasure on the ordinance, voted no. Nonetheless, with a margin of 4-2 the ordinance passed.

Ordinance 688, the final ordinance up for its second reading, related to bonding for Jackie Browning Park renovations. Byrd said this is still in the early stages, not even having a number and not asking the county to pay as of yet, but she still wanted the magistrate approval when so when the time comes they can act quickly.

There were a few announcements and approvals on the agenda, but with that being the bulk of the meeting, they motioned to adjure.