{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Stivers defends third foray into Corbin, Knox occupational tax fight &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"id2TzavxOt\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/stivers-defends-third-foray-occupation-tax-fight\/\">Stivers defends third foray into Corbin, Knox occupational tax fight<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/stivers-defends-third-foray-occupation-tax-fight\/embed\/#?secret=id2TzavxOt\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Stivers defends third foray into Corbin, Knox occupational tax fight&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"id2TzavxOt\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Stivers-speaks-to-chamber-3x.jpg","thumbnail_width":468,"thumbnail_height":357,"description":"Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) is defending his move to attach legislation to the end of Kentucky\u2019s biennial budget that tilts a long-running feud over occupational tax collections between the city of Corbin and the Knox County Fiscal Court in favor of the county. The measure was inserted into the budget during the final hours of negotiations over the budget bill April 14. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has until midnight Wednesday to sign the bill into law. Leaders in the city of Corbin are pushing for a line item veto, but say that they realize it\u2019s unlikely. On Tuesday, Stivers defended the move saying the argument over occupational tax collections affects other places too, like Pulaski County and Shelby County. He said county judge-executives from both Whitley and Knox counties, along with other counties, have been urging a change in the law that would more permanently secure their ability to collect occupational taxes regardless of city-county boundaries. \u201cIt puts cities and counties in competition with one another,\u201d Stivers said. He said the issue needs to be addressed as part of a \u201cbigger and broader tax reform package.\u201d About 23 percent of Corbin\u2019s citizens live in Knox County. It\u2019s been estimated that between $800,000 and just over $1 million is collected in occupational taxes from the Knox County portion of the city. Stivers\u2019 six-county district includes both Knox and Whitley Counties. Stivers pushed through similar measures in 2012 and 2014. The most recent was set to expire in mid-July. Corbin passed a citywide one percent occupational tax in 2005. Through an agreement with the Whitley County Fiscal Court, the city keeps 75 percent of revenue garnered from the tax in the Whitley County side of Corbin. But city leaders have never been able to reach a similar agreement with Knox County leaders, and so never collected the tax. Knox County passed its tax in 1999 and has a revenue sharing agreement with the city of Barbourville. Corbin filed a lawsuit in 2008 to settle a dispute over the issue. Corbin has long claimed city residents can claim a credit against the county tax, so that it would not &#8220;stack,&#8221; \u2014 forcing Corbin residents and businesses in Knox County to pay two percent instead of just one percent. Corbin won a series of legal decisions and was on the verge of collecting its portion of the tax when Stivers first intervened in 2012. Corbin has never enforced the tax on its Knox County side. Stivers noted the language he inserted into the budget this time does provide for a \u201cphase in\u201d of the credit the city wants. If Corbin were to begin collecting the tax, then citizens could claim a 10 percent credit beginning this July, and a 20 percent credit in July 2017. He said the phase-in period is something county government leaders had asked for, and something he hoped would bridge the gap between the two positions. Corbin leaders have been deeply critical of Stivers for his stance on the tax fight. They lost an effort in the courts to have his 2012 amendment on the issue declared as \u201cspecial legislation,\u201d something that is unconstitutional in Kentucky. Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney said he had a short, face-to-face meeting with Stivers Monday, but was disappointed. \u201cI\u2019d hate to stack the tax over there worse than anything. I hate the idea of doing that,\u201d McBurney said. \u201cBut there comes a time we have to look at it unless we come together and make a drastic cut in the budget.\u201d \u201cA city has to have operating cash.\u201d McBurney said the city is beginning to lose valuable employees because of its inability to provide raises. He also said the city is facing a mounting crisis regarding equipment and vehicles. He said 21 vehicles being utilized by the city right now need to be replaced. \u201cI hope it does come to that \u2026 us having to stack the tax,\u201d McBurney said. \u201cIf it did come in, it would be understood that as soon as that \u201cStivers Amendment\u201d was removed, that the stacked tax would come off.\u201d Corbin City Commissioner Suzie Razmus, who attended the meeting with Stivers Monday, said she is hesitant to endorse a higher tax in the Knox County portion of Corbin. \u201cI would not vote on stacking the tax unless we clean up our own financial house first.\u201d \u201cI understand their plight,\u201d Stivers said, acknowledging that \u201cstacking\u201d would be unfair to employees and businesses in that portion of Corbin, and could dissuade economic growth. Stivers has said in the past he\u2019s sponsored the amendments because if the occupational tax revenue from Corbin was removed from the Knox County Fiscal Court\u2019s budget, it would be crippling, making it difficult for the county to provide adequate services to its citizens. Corbin leaders have argued for years the tax arrangement is unfair because a portion of the tax collected out of the city actually goes to Barbourville since that city gets 25 percent all occupational taxes collected countywide. Stivers said he\u2019s been trying to help them find other money to offset the budget crunch, and also said he plans to redouble efforts in the future to pass legislation that would allow Corbin to annex into portions of southern Laurel County \u2014 a move he proposed this past session that promises to help spur economic growth in the area near I-75 Exit 29 and bring more tax revenue into the city."}