Mercer County Fiscal Court OKs $11.9-Million Budget

Robert Moore

Herald Staff

rmoore@harrodsburgherald.com

The Mercer County Fiscal Court’s meeting on Tuesday morning was over in half an hour. It was a routine meeting because two of the biggest issues currently before the county—a revision of 911 street addresses that impacts nearly a thousand home owners and deciding whether to allow a Dollar General store to be built at the intersection of Ashley Camp and Chimney Rock Roads—were not on the agenda. Judge-Executive Milward Dedman has not set a date for either issue to be considered by the fiscal court.

As for the street addresses, Dedman said the county wants to allow residents enough time to search an interactive map prepared by the Bluegrass Area Development District.

One resident who knows he will have to change his checks and business stationary is Magistrate Tim Darland, who lives on Bohon Road.

“It’s getting our whole road,” Darland said.

As for the Dollar General, Dedman said he and the magistrates are currently reviewing testimony from the hearings held by the Mercer County Joint Planning and Zoning Commission. In three separate meetings, the planning and zoning commission was unable to make a decision on whether to recommend a zoning change that would allow the Dollar General to be built.

Now the ball is in the fiscal court, so to speak, and Dedman said he wanted to confer with Planning and Zoning Executive Director Shawn Moore and County Attorney Ted Dean before moving forward.

In other business, the Fiscal Court Gave first reading to the $11.9-million budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. However, Magistrate Darland objected to the jail portion of the budget.

While Darland said he supported a 50-cent raise to jail staff on top of a 50-cent raise already approved in January, he opposed giving a nearly $10,000 raise to Chief Dep. Chad Holderman.

“I just don’t agree with it,” Darland said.

Darland and Magistrate Wayne Jackson voted against the budget, which passed 4-2.

The new budget includes funds for laptops for the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. It will be submitted to the Department of Local Government for approval before the magistrates give it a second reading.

The next meeting of the Mercer County Fiscal Court will be held on Tuesday, May 28, at 10 a.m. at the Mercer County Fiscal Courthouse (207 West Lexington Street).

Learn the rest of the story on page 8A of this week’s issue of the Harrodsburg Herald or click here to subscribe.