District 5 magistrate candidates square-off at Nelson Co. American First PAC forum

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022 — Magistrate candidates for District 5 squared off Tuesday evening in a candidate forum sponsored by the Nelson County America First PAC.

Kenny Fogle, chairman of the Nelson County Democratic Party, and Don Thrasher were co-moderators, and took turns questioning the candidates.

DISTRICT 5 – JON SNOW (R) & KENNY DOWNS (D)

Both Snow and Downs are retired from careers in law enforcement.

Snow retired as a detective with the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office; Downs retired from the Louisville Metro Police Department, and served a stint as Bloomfield Police chief.

Downs touted his experience working in construction for his father, and in the bridge projects he helped build in Nelson County. That experience would allow him to better compare constrution bids on county projects.

COUNTY PROBLEMS. Downs said that employee pay is one of the biggest problems the county will face moving forward. A second problem is the possible loss of the ad valorum taxes the distilleries pay on barrels in whiskey warehouses.

Nelson County receives more barrel tax money than any other county, and stands to lose the most of distillers are successful in convincing the Kentucky General Assembly to eliminate it.

The loss of that revenue would remove more than a total of $8 million in revenue from schools and cities in the county, as well as Nelson Fiscal Court.

“If that passes the magistrates are going to have their hands full on how to recoup that money,” Downs said.

Snow said the next fiscal court may take some time as its new members learn to work together.

Snow said frequently hears complaints on the loss of places to go for the county’s youths.

PLANNING & ZONING. The county’s agriculture zoning classification was amended to allow distilleries to build warehouses on tracts larger than 100 acres.

Snow said that neighboring property owners should be advised if distillery warehouses were going to be built in rural areas.

Downs said distillery warehouses are “a double-edged sword.”

They represent the growth of the bourbon industry in Nelson County and creation of new good-paying jobs. The taxes they pay help the local governments and schools.

But at the same time, “I wouldn’t want to live in a subdivision and walk out my front door and see a whiskey warehouse.”

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Moderator Kenny Fogle said the community is running out of employees willing to work locally.

“There are a lot of people who don’t want to work,” Downs said. “Restaurant workers don’t get paid much and they depend on tips.”

Snow said he doesn’t think its a Nelson County problem, its a national problem and not really a government issue.

Young people aren’t entering the workforce like they used to, he said. And part of it is that schools are doing a better job of preparing kids for better paying jobs outside of restaurants.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE PAY. Has fiscal court done a good job of keeping police salaries competitive in the sheriff’s office?

Snow said there’s balance you have to find between paying enough to keep your employees and keeping within your budget.

“There’s room for improvement, but we have to keep the budget in mind,” he said.

He suggest having merit raises every five years or so to reward employees for their years of service.

Downs said he worked off duty to supplement his pay when he was active law enforcement.

DRUG PROBLEM. When asked about fiscal court’s role in dealing with the scourge of drugs in our community, Downs said that fiscal court should be involved on several fronts — providing first-responders with equipment like Narcan to reverse overdoses, up to helping bring treatment programs to help those who wish to seek help for drug addiction.

“I think its a problem that every single person in Nelson County should worry about,” he said. “

Snow praised the sheriff’s office from their work combating drugs on the law enforcement side.

On the treatment front, Nelson County already has the Isiaih House, and perhaps fiscal court could help promote that program.

MULTIPURPOSE SPORTS COMPLEX. Downs said he’s in favor of a multi-use sports complex, but not if it means raising taxes. “I think its feasible and can be done.”

“I think its a bad idea for governement to fund those kinds of things,” Snow said of an acquatic center. In Lebanon, the facility was donated, but the facility loses money every year.

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