Bardstown City Council proposes to slightly lower the city’s property tax rate
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 — The Bardstown City Council held the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday evening that will slightly lower the city’s property tax rate for 2021 compared to the previous year.
The reason is due to the increase is property values in the city limits; leaving the tax rate the same would have raised more than 4 percent new tax revenue — a move that would be subject to a recall vote.
State law allows city and county governments to adjust property tax rates in order to achieve up to a 4 percent revenue increase on property taxes each year.
The council held first reading on an ordinance that lowers the city’s current tax rate of 17.9 cents per $100 value to 17.8 cents per $100 value. The slightly lower tax rate will still net the city’s coffers an additional $98,416 in new tax revenue.
Mayor Dick Heaton noted that the additional revenue will be spent covering energy and other costs of the city’s operation.
BETHANY HAVEN GRANT REQUEST. Councilman David Dones introduced a donation request by Bethany Haven, seeking a grant of $20,000 to help fund its continuing mission of helping the homeless.
The city gave the organization $18,000 last year, $8,000 of which was money the city received via the CARES Act.
Mayor Heaton noted that the city had received addditional CARES Act money totallilng $20,000 to add to its community grand funds for local organizations.
Heaton said he felt comfortable with providing a grant of $15,000 to Bethany Haven, and left it up the council to come up with a suitable donation amount.
In addition to the women’s shelter, Bethany Haven operates a men’s shelter with space for nine men. The organization also operates the Room At The Inn program.
After discussion, the council voted to approve a grant of $15,000 for Bethany Haven. Heaton suggested that once the city is closer to the end of its fiscal year, it may have funding to provide additional grant money for the organization’s mission.
In other business, the council:
— approved a $3,000 grant request by the Old Bardstown Village to repair the wooden ramp that leads from the Civil War Museum of the Western Theater down to the Bardstown Village area.
— held a moment of silence for Councilman Roland Williams who’s wife, Rita Annette Franklin Williams, passed away Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021.
— approved an amendment for the American Greetings pump station upgrade by HDR Engineering. The additional $3,800 in fees is to cover the additional time the project is expected to take to complete.
— approved an agreement with HDR for the firm to provide a risk and resliency assessment for the city’s water system as part of an update of the city’s emergency response plan. The deadline for the plan is Dec. 31, 2021. The $30,000 cost of the work is already in the budget.
— approved a request to serve a new subdivision called Meadowbrooke Estates, located off Lutheran Church Road. The city will be upgrading the pump station that serves the area, and the developer is being required to contribute to the cost of the upgrade based on the percentage of the capacity the subdivision will require of the pump station upgrade.
— held second and final reading of the city’s compensation plan, which adds one position to the engineering department and raises all wages by 2.5 percent.
— the council approved mobile food vendor applications for Great Dane Pizza and Deez Butts Bar-b-que.
— approved the appointment of Susan Sloane to fill the unexpired three-year term of Beth Barkley on the Historic Review Board.
NEXT UP. The Bardstown City Council will next meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021.
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