Watts: Mayor Royalty’s recreation budget figures were ‘misleading and erroneous’

Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts compared the City of Bardstown’s 1994 recreation expenditures to the 2014 recreation net expenses at Nelson Fiscal Court’s regular meeting Tuesday morning. Click to enlarge.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015, 1:30 p.m. — Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts sharply criticized Bardstown Mayor John Royalty in a presentation about funding for the joint city-county recreation department, and called on the Bardstown City Council to take action.

Speaking this morning before Nelson Fiscal Court Watts — using the City of Bardstown’s own budget numbers — said Royalty’s public statements the city spent $590,000 on recreation were “misleading and erroneous.”

“The mayor’s numbers are wrong, and somebody’s been misinforming the city council, Watts said. “The numbers speak for themselves, in black and white.”

The county’s net contribution to recreation in 2014 totaled $426,737, Watts told the court. That figure included $120,000 for a baseball field project, which isn’t a normal annual expense.

Pointing to the two government’s recreation net contributions, Watts asked “Which one is greater? And whose telling the truth?”

Watts used a Powerpoint presentation to compare the net recreation expenses by the City of Bardstown and Nelson Fiscal Court.

Watts said the public and the members of the Bardstown City Council aren’t getting the full story.

Watts also presented a chart of the two government’s contribution when the joint effort began 21 years ago.

The city’s contribution 21 years ago was $257,000, which Watts compared to the city’s net cost now of $307,000. The net cost to the city has increased $50,000, he said.

Watts said the city council isn’t getting the full story.

“For a public official to make a statement that the city is spending $590,000 on recreation support and no documentation to support that, its misleading and erroneous. The citizens deserve better than that.”

Magistrate Keith Metcalfe expressed his disappointment that the mayor and city council didn’t sit down with the court to discuss how to make it work.

“With regrets, the county is moving forward on recreation solo,” Watts said, adding that he negotiations were unproductive. “I’ve tried to discuss the issue, but someone just does not understand the numbers.”

Judge-Executive Dean Watts talks to Magistrate Keith Metcalfe prior to the start of Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting.

RECREATION. Now that the City of Bardstown will no longer be conducting maintenance at Dean Watts Park, those duties are county government’s responsibility. Watts told the court he has already advertised for a recreation director for the new county recreation department.

With some youth sports programs ready to begin in coming weeks, the court approved a bid from Willett’s Lawn Care to do the striping on the soccer, football and baseball fields at Dean Watts Park. The estimated cost season total for the striping was $17,975.

The court approved a resolution to create a county recreation board, which will consist of five members. Watts told the court that two members of the existing city-county recreation board have expressed an interest in serving on a county recreation board.

Watts also outlined a list of five-year plan of future park improvements which included a 30×100-foot storage shed, paving and striping.

TAX RATE PROPOSALS. Watts distributed information from the state Department of Local Government regarding 2015-16 property tax rates. Watts said the compensating rate — the tax rate that generates about the same revenue as last year’s tax rate — is 14.3 cents per hundred dollars value, the same rate as last year.

If the magistrates decide seek to the 4 percent revenue increase, they property tax rate would increase to 14.8 cents per hundred dollars value. On a home assessed at $100,000, the extra tax would be an additional $5 per year. A public hearing would be necessary prior to enacting the higher tax rate.

The information was provided to the magistrates for review only. Watts made no recommendation and no action was taken.

In other business, the court:

— approved a request to allow the judge-executive to spend up to $40,000 to rebuild the Mercedes engine in one of the county’s garbage trucks. Solid Waste Director Brad Spalding said the rebuild estimate is $17,000 for just the motor; if the turbocharger and fuel injectors need replacing it will add another $10,000 to the price.

— approved a bid from Metal Recoaters to wasterblast and repaint all of the exterior metal parts on the Sutherland Building.

— approved the appointment of Dee Dee Keene to the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourist and Convention Commission board.

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