State law changes mean Bardstown City Council can’t regulate taxi business

Tom Donan, city attorney, explains to the Bardstown City Council the changes in state law that removed local government’s authority to regulate taxi service. Click to enlarge.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 — The Bardstown City Council delayed taking action Tuesday night on its proposed ordinance regulating local taxi service after learning that city governments no longer have the authority to regulate them.

That was the explanation given to the council by City Attorney Tom Donan.

“The legislature has taken away the authority of local government to regulate taxi cabs,” he explained. Consolidated local governments, namely, urban county governmental entities like Louisville and Lexington, can regulate taxi cabs.

Taxi businesses operating outside consolidated governments are regulated by the state’s Transportation Cabinet. Mr. Taxi, the Lexington-based taxi service that is interested in serving Bardstown, is working to finalize Transportation Cabinet approvals.

Donan said the matter came up in a city attorney e-mail list discussion involving another Kentucky city. Donan said he checked state statutes and discovered local governments no longer could regulate taxi cabs. “I checked with the legal office with the Kentucky League of Cities and found out that I read it right,” said.

No new ordinance will be needed for the taxi business to open its office here once it meets Transportation Cabinet requirements.

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