Fiscal court agrees on tax break to woo company to county

By Tara Kaprowy

A company that would create 250 new jobs is considering coming to Laurel County, London-Laurel County Industrial Authority Director Charlie Pennington told the Laurel County Fiscal Court Thursday. To sweeten the deal, the fiscal court agreed to give the company a tax break of 1 percent in its wage assessments if it chooses to make the area its home.

“That means the 1 percent would be given back to the company for a period of 10 years,” Pennington said.

The jobs will pay a minimum of $10.88 per hour.

While Pennington could not disclose details about the company, he said it would be part of the service industry, rather than manufacturing.

“These are clean, high-type jobs that would be really welcome to our county,” he said.

Pennington underscored giving the company the tax break was important.

“This can be a deal maker or a deal breaker,” he said.

The fiscal court unanimously agreed to give the tax break. Due to illness, magistrate Jeff Book did not attend Thursday’s meeting.

In other action, the Fiscal Court:

• Unanimously requested a visit from a representative of the Laurel County Public Library to explain its tax increase.

“Could someone from the library board come and tell us why and when it is going to top out?” magistrate Tom Baker asked.

Laurel County Judge-Executive Lawrence Kuhl said he would ask for a library board representative to attend next month’s meeting.

• Unanimously agreed to allow Sandra McCowan, Section 8 Housing executive director, to spend up to $13,000 on four computers and a new telephone system. The money has been allocated to McCowan’s sector by the Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the federal stimulus package. For expenditures of more than $2,500, McCowan has to get permission to spend the money by her board, which is the fiscal court.

• Unanimously allowed the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office to increase its spending cap by $217,504. The move is state-mandated for the first time this year. “It’s nothing to do with actual money, it’s just figures on paper,” Sheriff Fred Yaden said. “We have been receiving grants, we do transportation, we do court work, HIDTA, UNITE, all that brings in money, which goes to the deputies in one capacity or another. It’s saying that it’s all right that your spending has increased, that way it makes it balanced.”

• Unanimously agreed to accept a total of $12,100 in coal tax severance money, which will go the London-Laurel County Rescue Squad.

•Unanimously approved the 2010 budget for the Laurel County Clerk’s Office and the 2009 budget for mathematical correctness.

• Unanimously agreed to refuse to pay for a pauper’s burial for Jonnie Cunagin.

• Listened to Rowland Moore’s complaint about a gate on a road that prevents him from gaining access to his property.

“This has been going on since 1972 ... I’ve been to a third generation on this,” Moore said, insisting the fiscal court take care of the matter.

• Unanimously agreed to include Whitis Lane and Asher Cemetery Road in the county road system.

• Were told by Kuhl he issued an executive order to change a road name from Ponderosa Lane to Carl Hurley Lane. The road will still be otherwise known as KY 1520.

Staff writer Tara Kaprowy can be reached by e-mail at tkaprowy@sentinel-echo.com.

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