County board sees map of Industrial Drive Subdivision
Since you cannot sell a parcel of land until it is defined for legal purposes, the Saline County Board has been anxiously awaiting the completion of plotting the subdivision of some of the county land north of state Route 13 and near Veteran's Drive.
Mike Roberts of Brown and Roberts Engineering presented the board with a map of the parcels the firm defined and mapped for the County.
Shortly, the selling process of this commercial land can begin and a source of much needed revenue may be tapped.
The financial report Thursday evening was worse than the previous two months of 2015 said County Treasurer Danny Ragan.
"We are in the process of pricing the parcels," said Joe Jackson.
Danny Gibbs, former board member, raised the issue of drainage of filled lots. The lots require fill in order to be used for certain purposes. If a lot is filled - raised by fill dirt - then it drains onto its surrounding lots. Gibbs thought that problem should be addressed before it ended up in court.
The board agreed that it needed to be addressed but approved the map and plotting without deciding how it would be addressed.
"We are down $33,000 this month. It is not looking good," said Danny Ragan at the beginning of the Treasurer's Report. "The revenues have not come in. We need a new income stream."
Ragan also reported that Ferrell Hospital had sent a letter offering some concessions on interest for the overpaid taxes they are due.
The board agreed to consider the matter in its next closed session.
The board voted and accepted the Treasurers report.
The board adopted a new policy that requires citizens wishing to address the board to first consult with the appropriate committee concerning the problem the citizen wants to address. Dates and times of committee meetings are posted outside Board Secretary Helen Dunn's office on the second floor of the courthouse.
The board approved seven appointments:
Coleman Tri-County: Robert Nelson, a 1 year re-appointment to expire April 30, 2016.
Raleigh Water District: Jim Ellis, a 5 year re-appointment to expire the first Monday of May 2020.
Prospect Water Distirct: Aaron Allen, a 5 year re-appointment to expire the first Monday of May 2020.
Mitchellville Water District: Mickey Woolard, a 5 year re-appointment to expire the first Monday of May 2020 and Bill Bethel to replace Roman Kuppart to expire first Monday of May 2020.
Liberty-Ledford Water District: Kathy Morris 5 year reappointment to expire first Monday of May 2020 and Bill Ferrell 5 year reappointment to expire the first Monday of May 2020.
After the meeting was adjourned Board Member Allan Porter addressed the assembled members on the issue of levying a severance tax on coal, oil and gas taken from Saline County.
"Saline County is producing 10 million tons of coal a year or $500 million in revenue," he said.
"We currently don't see a nickle of that money."
Porter wants to know if the board has the authority to impose a coal severance tax.
"Others tell me the state will prevent us from assessing a severance on coal. I do not have a problem bucking the state," Porter said. "But what is the authority of the county board when it comes to levying a severance tax? Do we have the authority? We are defined as a legislative and executive body for the county. The state general assembly is solely a legislative body. We are different and my study of the matter leads me to believe we do that power to tax the removal of natural resources within our borders.
"There is no state law prohibiting counties from levying a severance tax."
Porter said Kentucky has such a tax and benefits greatly from it.
"We need the new revenue for schools and other expenses. Our budget is in bad shape. I have been elected to serve the citizens. I do not think it will come close to putting the coal companies out of business. Kentucky has not run the coal industry out of state. I have a friend in Kentucky that tells me that all their schools are built with coal severance dollars," Porter said.
He said other states also benefit from coal severance taxes.
"When the coal companies leave us, we will have nothing to show for it. The state of Illinois is one of the top 10 coal producing states in the country. Seven out of 10 have severance taxes on coal. Why not Illinois?
"I think counties should get thirty percent of whatever the state produces," Porter said.