(LUKE PIERCE & ANGELA BRIGGS/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW, Ky. – Described by the AOC as “surprising”, a decision made by the Barren County Fiscal Court leaves them in breach of the MOU the court approved in March of 2020.
On Wednesday, Judge/Executive Micheal Hale and Magistrates of the Barren County Fiscal Court received a letter from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and signed by Director Laurie Dudgeon.
A year and a half ago the Fiscal Court unanimously voted to build the new judicial center, with Magistrate Jeff Botts making the motion and Magistrate Carl Dickerson making the second. The 10 page agreement provides a detailed description of how the project is funded and the responsibilities of the Fiscal Court and the AOC.
Part of this agreement required the court to add the Public Properties Corporation, or PPC, to the agreement so they could bond the money. The members of the PPC are the same as the members of the Fiscal Court.
When the court voted to move forward, they also gave all decision making power to the Project Development Board, which has met monthly since then. In a three hour marathon court meeting, magistrates had a laundry list of questions regarding the project. WCLU News asked Judge Hale why he thinks there are questions over a year and a half after the court approved the project and what the PDB has done to get the word out:
Although the judicial branch is not interested in bringing an action against the county, If the situation is not addressed, the breach would result in the county and the judicial branch losing the Project altogether unless the judicial branch proceeds with an alternate financing and ownership model for this project. Hale says he has no idea why the court would try and put the brakes on this project:
The AOC once again explained that the project will not impact the county’s ability to bond money, that funds are never given directly to counties for capital construction projects and the county judge executive chairs the development committee, giving the entire court a voice.
When it comes to the old courthouse, the AOC says that they will continue to pay for the building as long as they are occupying it, which they expect to continue until 2025. This will leave four years on the debt service for the county to pay, but in return they will be given a $32million dollar building.
When it comes to economic development, Judge Hale says a county is only as good as its word and this breach could make it harder moving forward:
Director Dudgeon wrote that she would welcome the opportunity to speak directly to the court, should they be inclined to reconsider their decision.
Also copied on the letter was the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, Barren County’s District, Circuit and Family Court Judges, the county attorney, circuit clerk and our State Representative and State Senator.