Taxation and Compensation
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Metcalfe County fiscal court held its regular meeting on Thursday, August 14th, with Judge/Executive Larry Wilson, County Treasurer/Fiscal Court Clerk Page Edwards, County Attorney Sharon Howard, Magistrates Ronnie Miller, Daniel Bragg, Kevin Crain, and Harvey Hawkins.
Also attending were Jailer, Randall Shive, Solid Waste Coordinator Kim Jandt, Road Supervisor, Chris Compton, Occupational Tax Administrator Lorrie Gilpin, and Herald-New reporter, PJ Martin.
The agenda was adopted after a motion by Magistrates Miller and Hawkins. The minutes from the July 24th meeting were approved after a motion by Magistrates Crain and Bragg.
Salary Schedule
Updates to the FY 25/26 Salary Schedule for Transportation Officers was discussed. Treasurer Edwards, “There was a little confusion on the pay scale. They’re (transportation officers) getting $990 now, and it was supposed to have been $1,000…all I had in my notes…So it’s a difference of $10 a month. I just have to redo it, and you all have to approve.”
The corrected salary of $1,000 was approved after the motion by Miller and the second by Bragg.
Tax Rate
Next, the court acknowledged the Metcalfe County Extension Service tax rate for 2025. Judge Wilson remarked that it hadn’t changed, to which Miller replied, “…the personal property has but, can’t do nothing about it.”
The Real Property rate is 0.104 (10.4¢ per $100). The Personal Property rate is 0.1530 (15.3¢ per $100), and for the Motor Vehicle and Watercraft, the rate remained at 3.0 per $100 assessed value for 2026.
Emergency Agreement
The Statewide Emergency Management Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement was explained by Treasurer Edwards, “This is something Adam (Bennett) brought to me. He couldn’t be here today. Basically, what it is, it just has to formally go through fiscal court, and the judge has to sign it. It’s for when there are disasters in different places…it’s like some neighboring county had a disaster, like London and Texas County did that one time, and we have resources, then we can assist.”
The motion to accept the agreement was made by Bragg, seconded by Miller, and approved.
Financials
The July 2025 financial statement was approved quickly after motions by Crain and Hawkins.
Looking at the budget transfer, Miller asked, “What is this $100,000 for?
Edwards answered, “It’s for the trucks, the vehicles that we purchased… But the $50,000 was coming out straight without a loan. The $100,000 is the loan…But I had to show in the budget lines.”
The Interfund Transfers were odd, so Edwards explained. “It’s a little complicated, but each year we get truck license fees. Normally, it is deposited straight into the road fund from the state. This year, instead of them sending it straight to the road fund, they sent it to the general fund…So I went to the bank yesterday, they transferred it for me into the road fund so we can show that we’ve received it.”
“So, what I’m doing now that we’ve shown that it has been received into the road fund. I’m transferring the full amount back to the general for those road fund cost allocations…So it’s just a formal thing, and the auditors wanted to see…”
The budget and interfund transfers were approved with no further discussion.
In claims, the payment of $8,610.07 to the City of Edmonton was questioned. Edwards explained that it was the county’s half of the 911 wages, Social Security, and Medicare.
Other Business
The Herald-News reporter asked what the $750 to Hicks Mortuary Transportation was for, and Judge Wilson replied that it was where the coroner had ordered body bags.
The Road Supervisor and the Solid Waste Coordinator provided reports to the court.
Judge Wilson asked if anyone had any other business to discuss, and the Herald-News reporter replied, “Yes.”
“This is just a thought. I showed it to Ronnie (Miller) a little while ago. The City of Glasgow did these rules…They did some ordinances concerning animal abuse. And of course, the county can do it too, but they were really good. And one I would like to see that’s not on this list that I sent you is licenses for anyone who is going to breed animals must have a license and be registered…Any kind of animal they’re going to breed, like cats, dogs, any kind of pet type animal.”
“And they (Glasgow) said that they could no longer set up like in a flea market, any kind of market, or on the street or in a parking lot and sell animals… and we need to see about some kind of TNR, because the cats around here, the population has gotten crazy. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about that.”
Miller asked what the TNR is, and the reporter replied, “Trap, neuter, release. They notch their ear so that you can identify them.”
The reporter continued, “…animal abusers, once they’re convicted of animal abuse, they are no longer allowed to own an animal, a pet. And if they say they’re raided and they find animals that are being abused, they are responsible for paying for all the costs to take care of those animals, not the taxpayers…”
Bragg then stated, “…it’d be they just go to jail, and then we’d be paying their jail bills right, their food, and their health care. I mean, because we can’t ever get the money back once they go to jail, that’s right, gone for life, even though they are responsible for it…”
Then Judge Wilson said, “I like that idea of some sort of upgraded ordinance, you know, and you just have to get a copy of maybe what they did and amend it to fit, makes it a good idea…That would be a good thing for the board (shelter board) to do. Go over it, project it, and make it where it would fit here, and then present it to the court after that…”
The motion was then made to adjourn.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 28th, at 9 a.m. in the Fiscal Court room.
METCALFE COUNTY FISCAL COURT
ORDER NO.25-0522-1
RE: APPOINTMENT OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES
WHEREAS, pursuant to KRS 67.710 (7), KRS 67.711, and KRS 64.530, the Metcalfe County
Judge/Executive, with the approval of the Fiscal Court, does appoint the following individual(s)
to hold the position(s) indicated below with compensation incorporated into the Fiscal year
2025/2025 Budget and as set in Order No. 25-0522, effective July 1, 2025:
METCALFE COUNTY FISCAL COURT
| Position | Rate of Pay | Appropriation Code |
| Deputy Judge Executive | $1,000.00 | 01-5001-103 |
| Office Assistant | $45,598.67 | 01-5001-105 |
| Occupational Tax Administrator | $28,441.03 | 01-5001-167 |
| $75,039.70 | ||
| Secretary/Grant Coordinator | $14,976.00 | 01-5001-165 |
| County Treasurer | $34,944.00 | 01-5040-102 |
| $49,920.00 | ||
| Finance Officer | $30,000.00 | 01-5001-104 |
| Payroll/Personnel/Insurance Clerk | $18,214.40 | 01-5001-133 |
| $48,214.40 | ||
| Alcohol Beverage Control Admin | $4,010.20 | 01-5050-106 |
| County Attorney Secretary | $6,664.26 | 01-5001-366 |
| Fiscal Court Clerk | $4010.20 | 01-5010-101 |
| Iworq Coordinator | $5,304.29 | 01-5001-131 |
| Circuit Clerk Law Library | $900.00 | 01-5060-101 |
| Domestic Violence Intake Asst | $125.00 per visit | 04-5341-105 |
| Emergency Management Director | $29,605.20 | 08-5135-107 |
| Deputy Coroner | $8,072.88 | 04-5020-103 |
| Transportation Officer | $1,000/mo. | 03-5101-399 |
| Deputy Transportation Officer | $1,000/mo. | 03-5101-399 |
| Deputy Transportation Officer | $1,000/mo. | 03-5101-399 |
| Animal Control Officer | $12,579.84 | 01-5205-172 |
| METCALFE COUNTY ROAD DEPARTMENT | ||
| Position | Rate of Pay | Appropriation Code |
| Road Supervisor | $25.75 per hour | 02-6103-102 |
| Asst. Road Supervisor | $21.67 per hour | 02-6105-143 |
| Office Assistant/Mapping Agent | $21.13 per hour | 02-6103-105 |
| Road Dept. Employees | $21.13 per hour | 02-6105-143 |
| Road Dept/Parks & Grounds | $21.75 per hour | 02-6105-143 |
| Solid Waste/Road Dept. Employee | $21.75 per hour | 02-6105-143 |
| Solid Waste Coordinator | $21.50 per hour | 01-6105-366 |
