By GAGE WILSON
for Glasgow News 1
Park City officials have formally declined to pay a former city clerk’s claim for back pay and mileage reimbursement, and is planning to counter sue if necessary.
The city is refusing to pay the $6,440 sought by former city clerk Sue Whobrey, Nick Anderson of Pack Law Firm, writing on behalf of Park City, stated in the letter sent on Dec. 31.
The letter asserts that Whobrey’s code enforcement duties fell within her regular job responsibilities as city clerk and did not entitle her to additional compensation of $1,000 per month. Anderson further notes that no ordinance amendment was ever brought before the city commission requesting additional pay for code enforcement work.
The letter also addresses Whobrey’s request for $2,440 in mileage reimbursement, stating that the amount claimed “substantially exceeds what is considered reasonable and necessary” for her job responsibilities and that the city believes there is no legal basis for reimbursing the expense.
In an email sent to Glasgow News 1, Park City Mayor Donna Scavo wrote that a countersuit is likely if Whobrey continues with her legal action. At this time no further details on the city’s countersuit have been made available.
“If she doesn’t drop it, we are going to counter sue,” Scavo wrote in the email.
Anderson also wrote that the city would be willing to review the matter further only if Whobrey can provide documentation that substantiates and legally supports her claims regarding both compensation and mileage reimbursement.
The dispute first became public during the Park City Commission’s Dec. 1 meeting where officials announced that Whobrey had threatened legal action against the city. Whobrey has claimed she is owed back pay for four months of work she said she performed as the city’s code enforcement officer.
“I was not sworn in, but for four months I did the duties of it,” Whobrey told commissioners at last year’s meeting, citing her involvement with issuing property citations and work related to animal control. The assignment was meant to be temporary, according to Whobrey.
Scavo has maintained that code enforcement has historically fallen under the city clerk’s position and was covered by the clerk’s existing salary. Whobrey disputed that characterization, pointing to her appointment paperwork, which she said listed only city clerk and ABC duties.
Questions were also raised during the meeting about additional compensation Whobrey received for ABC work, which Whobrey described as separate contract labor.
There was also discussion on actions taken by former mayor Larry Poteet, whom Scavo said assigned additional duties without commission approval, emphasizing that Park City operates under a mayor-commission form of government.
In a Nov. 24 letter, Whobrey’s attorney, Matthew Baker, requested $1,000 per month for four months, plus $2,440 in mileage, stating that legal action would follow if payment was not made by Dec. 31, 2025. At the time of publication, no lawsuit has been filed, according to the Kentucky Court of Justice website.
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