Letter: Pay ordinance error was mayor’s mistake, not evidence of corruption

To the editor:

I would like to reply to the recent story published by Don Thrasher about the missed deadline for passing an ordinance regarding the Mayor’s pay that was to take effect on January 1, 2023. I take full responsibility in putting the ordinance on the council agenda for reading and a vote after the deadline. It was not intentional. Most state statutes related to City financial matters start or end at the beginning or end of a given month such as annual budgets, fiscal years and annual audits. I was mistaken as the deadline was the first Monday in May. I should have made sure of the deadline, but did not. I do not know of the relevance of the first Monday in May for such a deadline. 

This was not a malicious act or corruption as Gaye Ballard or Don Thrasher would have you believe. Even though we took action on the ordinance beyond the deadline this was done before the filing deadline for candidates for Mayor which was June 7. The May 24 vote and passage was over a month before the new fiscal year was to begin, six months before the election and eight months before it was to take effect. No one benefited financially from this action nor was there a cost to taxpayers. There is a legal remedy to correct an error such as this that we pursued immediately after reviewing Miss Ballard’s open record request.

The City Council members thought paying the Mayor $30,000 per year to manage a $70,000,000 per year operation (with over 170 employees) was inadequate and not something that would attract an experienced, educated and competent person to run for Mayor in the future.

If you appreciate the tremendous investment, changes and progress within our community in the last four years,I respectfully ask you to consider voting for me and the current City Council members all of whom are running for re-election. We have the experience and record of accomplishments to keep this progress going. You can keep this momentum going with your vote for us on November 8.

Dick Heaton
Mayor of Bardstown