Election 2014: Judge executive candidates debate issues; Trzop opts out

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014, 3 p.m. — Two of the three candidates for Nelson County judge executive took part in a feisty televised debate Wednesday night at an event sponsored by The Kentucky Standard and PLG-TV.

The debates for judge executive and Bardstown mayor at the Nelson County Civic Center were open to the public. The candidates were asked questions from a panel that included Matthew Fogle of PLG, Kentucky Standard Editor Forrest Berkshire, and reporter Randy Patrick.

PETE TRZOP

TRZOP OPTS OUT. The televised debate featured incumbent Democrat Dean Watts and independent candidate Tim Hutchins. Republican Pete Trzop, the third candidate in the race, did not participate, though he did appear Wednesday morning on WBRT’s “Bradford & Brooks” program.

On the broadcast, Trzop defended his decision to not participate in candidate events with Hutchins, citing questions about the signatures on his candidacy petition make Hutchins “an illegitimate candidate.”

When asked about challenging Hutchins’ petition in court, Trzop said there wasn’t enough time left to do so, and even if he did, Hutchins’ name would remain on the ballot anyway.

Rather than participate in the candidate events, Trzop said he’s spending his time going door-to-door to meet the county’s voters.

Dean Watts, left, and Tim Hutchins shake hands after completing the debate Wednesday sponsored by The Kentucky Standard and PLG-TV.

WATTS VS. HUTCHINS. In his opening statement, independent candidate Tim Hutchins took incumbent Democrat Dean Watts to task for what Hutchins called “a lack of leadership” in economic development that has resulted in more jobs going to adjacent counties and fewer jobs coming to Nelson County.

Hutchins said his campaign is focused on three things: Making government more efficient, economic development and quality of life. “We need new, positive leadership,” he said.

Watts said he has the ability and experience to continue to serve the county as judge executive. “I still enjoy coming to work each day,” he said.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Hutchins said economic development is a key issue in the judge executive’s race that includes infrastructure and crime. He took Watts to task for not being able to bring in the jobs that surrounding counties have been able to attract.

“If we have the type of community everyone says we do, how come those jobs aren’t coming here?”

Hutchins said he would bring new leadership and would revamp the existing economic development plans. “You have to have new vision and new ideas and new energy,” he said.

As he did at the Farm Bureau forum, Watts once again pointed to the Kentucky Standard’s classifieds as proof of open jobs in the community.

The county is currently working with three companies that are considering Nelson County as a location for a new business. Economic development is more competitive, he said, and that has led to a change in thinking locally, he said.

Dean Watts responds to a question during Wednesday’s debate between two of the three candidates for judge executive.

Watts defended the county’s incentives that helped bring the Bardstown Bourbon Co. to Bardstown, and that included the sale of the land in the Nelson County Industrial Park. “Tax breaks are important to any community because if they don’t come, you don’t have the jobs,” he said.

Watts said the tax breaks and incentives that include negotiable land prices are an important part of attracting new industry. “It’s an investment in the future,” Watts said.

Hutchins was critical of giving the new company a discounted price on the land it purchased in the county’s industrial park. “You don’t need gas, water and sewer for warehouses,” Hutchins said. “They could have put them in other parts of the industrial park.”

Watts said Hutchins has been “out of the loop” for four years and isn’t aware of the changes in economic development. The location of the land was discussed, but in the end it was part of the total agreement that brought the company to Bardstown.

“The county felt it was a good project, and ‘ll be darned if I’m going to let one of those projects get out of here,” he said. “If Magistrate Hutchins were county judge, I would hate to think he would let one of those projects go.”

Hutchins called it a “sweetheart deal” that amounted to giving away land prime for additional development.

Tim Hutchins gestures while responding to a question during Wednesday night’s televised debate that featured two of the three candidates for judge executive.

ETHICS ORDINANCE. In response to a question about possible changes to the existing ethics ordinance, Watts said he thought there was room for updates. The last changes in 2008 allowed the county attorney to hire his son, and that’s worked well, he said. Even if the nepotism portion of the ordinance is changed, Watts said he still wouldn’t hire family members.

Hutchins said all ordinances should be revisited periodically. He took Watts to task for his involvement in the recent flap regarding the county coroner hiring his daughter as deputy coroner. “Field (Houghlin) said he went to (Watts’) office and got advice, and no one knows who swore her in,” he said.

Watts said he was never approached by the coroner about his plan to hire his daughter. Houghlin did contact his secretary. Watts noted the coroner is a constitutional office and they can hire and fire whoever they want without consulting the judge executive.

AQUATIC CENTER. Both candidates agreed that an aquatic center would be good for the county, though each had different thoughts on how one should be funded and operated.

The construction of an aquatic center isn’t a real problem, Watts said. The unanswered question is how to fund its operation. Watts said an aquatic center could require up to $500,000 annually in subsidies to cover the cost of its operation — and that includes user fees it will collect. Watts said the county can’t afford the costs, and he would not support raising taxes to fund it.

Citing his success in fundraising for his church, Hutchins said he would bring schools, businesses and healthcare groups together to help fund the center and its operation. Hutchins said the facility should be operated locally and not affiliated with the YMCA.

CURBSIDE RECYCLING. Hutchins said he supports curbside recycling for county residents, but added that recycling isn’t free. He said the money the county spends in some areas could be moved to help pay for recycling over five to seven years.

The cost factor with recycling is the sticking point, Watts said. The county offers curbside recycling in subdivisions in the county, however of the 4,500 possible customers, only about 10 percent take advantage of the program.

“I’ll support curbside recycling if we have the funds to do it, but the folks out in the county aren’t ready yet to pay for the costs of recycling,” he said.

Watts said he would work with the City of Bardstown to try to make a curbside program work. “If Springfield, Ky. can do it, why can’t we do it.”

PLANNING & ZONING. When asked about recent issues related to planning and zoning, Watts said the planning commission is working to revise some of its regulations already. Watts was critical of Hutchins’ frequent complaints about the planning and zoning regulations and fees which Hutchins — as a magistrate — voted to approve.

Hutchins said he had no problem with planning and zoning, but he wants to simplify. “We need more planning than less zoning,” he said. “Anyone who hasn’t seen problems with planning and zoning has been in his office in the courthouse withe the door shut too long.”

Watts said the building permit process has generated more complaints than planning and zoning. He said planning and zoning unfairly gets the blame for the sign ordinance and design review board complaints.

DOUBLE TAXATION. The candidates were asked about the Bardstown City Council’s recent move to end its agreements regarding recreation and E-911 funding.

Watts said he as unaware of the issue until the council took action. The E-911 issue is a life safety issue, and Watts said he has already had discussion with Mayor Bill Sheckles about a compromise. He said the issue will go before fiscal court and the city council after the new council is seated.

On recreation, Watts noted that county residents who work in the city — like himself — pay the city’s occupational tax, and that money helps fund the city’s general fund. The city collects $1.8 million, and 65 to 70 percent of those who pay the tax live outside the city limits.

“I would like to think that out of that $1.8 million, you would at least get a service such as the 911 service or funding for recreation,” Watts said. “It’s hard to take a general tax and assign it to a specific purpose.”

County residents pay their fair share, noting that he pays $500 a year in occupational tax.

Hutchins chided Watts for what he saw as a lack of communication with Bardstown government. “It shouldn’t have gone as far as it has,” he said.

FIREARMS. In answer to a question about a proposed ordinance that would restrict the firing of guns in densely populated areas, Watts said the discussion came after he received a growing number of phone calls from residents worried about gun use in populated areas.

Watts said he reached out to the NRA for guidance, and noted the City of Bardstown has long prohibited the use of firearms in the city limits. Defining where such restrictions would apply was one of the problems with the ordinance. The issue was not gun control, but safety, he said. Gun complaints will continue to be handled on a case-by-case basis by police.

Hutchins said he is an NRA member, and said there are sufficient laws already in place to cover the unsafe use of firearms. “Nobody wants anyone to get hurt, but you have to respect people’s Constitution rights.”

GAY RIGHTS. Hutchins said he did not see the proposed changes to the county’s human rights ordinance, but he would not support changing it to “overprotect” an individual group.

“I’m against all discrimination in any way, shape or fashion — period,” he said.

Watts said the existing ordinance addresses discrimination against all people, as does state and federal human rights laws. Fiscal court right now would not approve an ordinance that focused on rights for a specific group, he said.

In his closing comments, Watts said nine new industries located in the county during his tenure as judge executive. If re-elected he said he would continue to recruit new jobs and expand existing ones, and infrastructure projects that include a western bypass.

Hutchins told viewers he has a vision that would focus on economic development, infrastructure and quality of life. He supports making KY 245 four lanes all the way to I-65 as a way to help attract new industry.

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