Fiscal Court cuts funding to Sheriff’s Department

Since the May primary election when incumbent Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence got defeated in his bid for re-election, the sheriff’s department has lost four employees, who have resigned to take other jobs.

During its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Whitley County Fiscal Court approved a $54,300 reduction in funding for the sheriff’s department for the remainder of 2010 in proportion with the fewer number of employees.

Whitley County Treasurer Jeff Gray said that the fiscal court normally allocated about $400,000 in annual funding for the sheriff’s department, and that the reduction represents the pay of those four employees and what their subsequent benefits would have been for the remainder of the year.

Magistrate David Myers said that the fiscal court had allocated the money in good faith based upon a certain number of employees, and since that number had decreased, the budget committee felt that it was only fair to reduce the sheriff’s budget accordingly.

Gray said that the sheriff’s department was notified ahead of time about the move.

Sheriff-elect Colan Harrell is unopposed in the November General Election, and will take office Jan. 1.

In other business, the fiscal court:

¥ Approved the second reading of an ordinance pertaining to the county’s purchase of about 99 acres of land near Savoy that will be used for the county’s proposed industrial park.

The county had already paid about $54,000 for options on the land, which went towards the purchase price, and the ordinance dealt with the financing of the remaining nearly $327,000 in funding that will be paid back over a 10-year period, said Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr.

White said that the land, which adjoins the Clear Fork River, is also being considered for a "Canoeing the Cumberlands" site.

"We have met with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, and looked at that site trying to get that project started," he added.

¥ Approved a resolution relating to $247,000 in grant funding for paving projects as part of the state’s rural secondary road program. Much of the work will be patching projects.

¥ Authorized the judge-executive to sign a grant agreement with PRIDE that will cover the county’s portion of the October PRIDE roadside clean-up month.

The $6,000 in funding will pay for two dumpster days programs that month that will be held at the Corbin Speedway and the Whitley County Garage. In addition, it will cover the county’s cost for picking up and disposing of bags of garbage that volunteers will be picking up.

The fiscal court approved a similar measure to allow White to sign documents related to the county’s Litter Abatement Program.

The county normally receives about $54,000 annually, which pays for the Litter Lieutenants program and the trash pick-up program, which is conducted by inmates at the Whitley County Detention Center.

"It’s a great grant that does a lot of good things for Whitley County," said Tracy West, Whitley County Projects Director.

¥ Accepted a petition to adopt Harold Canada Cemetery Road into the county road system. The road will be reviewed, and voted on next month.

¥ Agreed to change the name of Brewer Road to Bates Lane. Officials noted that only one person lives on the road.

¥ Accepted the Whitley County Conservation District’s annual report and annual financial report for 2010.