By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The Barren County Fiscal Court Magistrates approved to pay a variety of invoices and a workforce development interlocal agreement during their Tuesday, April 21 meeting.
All invoices received unanimous approval from the seven county magistrates. Those invoices were:
- KNOWINK LLC for $6,200 — election software for the county clerk’s office.
- Community Relief Fund for $ 8,750 — 2025-26 fourth quarter allocation.
- Carr Riggs and Ingram for $ 10,000 — professional services related to the audit ending on June 30, 2025.
- Lakeside Recycling for $12,000 — dumpsters used during county cleanup.
- Barrens Information Technology Systems for $14,117.75 — 2025-26 fourth quarter billing.
- Frontline Emergency Lighting for $30,501.42 — various emergency lights and installation.
- The Barren County Economic Authority for $34,208.75 — Fiscal court serving as a pass through for federal money the authority received for South Cooper Industrial Park.
- Grey Rock Excavation for $44,274.06 — concrete work performed from March 25 to April 14. Part of the ongoing concrete replacement project paid for by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
- Don Franklin Auto for $73,500 — two new 2023 Dodge Durangos.
The magistrates also voted to enter an interlocal agreement with Allen, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren counties for the “mutual benefit of the area’s workforce development system,” the agreement stated.
Southcentral Workforce Development Board President and Chief Executive Officer John Soward explained the purpose of the agreement to the fiscal court magistrates.
“Our role is to help with local workforce development,” Soward said. “We are managing federal funds, and we’re doing it on behalf of this ten-county region [and so] what the interlocal agreement really just establishes is a shared governance framework, because we have ten county judges that have oversight into what we do [with the money].”
Soward said the only risk to the county was the slight possibility that the magistrates would need to reimburse the state or federal government for financial mismanagement. There are four other parties listed before the counties would be liable, according to the agreement.
“I’ve been in this role for over five years and, to my knowledge, I’m not aware of that happening,” Soward said. “But it is there as a contingency.”
Much like when this agreement was approved five years ago, a consortium is established consisting of the counties judge-executives, or their representatives, according to the agreement. The agreement will remain in effect until ended or until June 30, 2031, according to the agreement provisions.
The full interlocal agreement can be read here.
Key Facts
– Barren County Fiscal Court met April 21 in Glasgow
– Magistrates unanimously approved a slate of invoices totaling more than $230,000
– Spending covers election software, cleanup dumpsters, emergency lighting, vehicles and more
– Fiscal court will pass through federal funds to the Barren County Economic Authority
– Magistrates approved a renewed 10-county workforce development interlocal agreement
– Workforce pact runs through June 30, 2031, unless ended earlier
– Southcentral Workforce Development Board CEO John Soward outlined the agreement and potential risks
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