Budget committee acknowledges Open Meetings law controversy, slashes school funding

July 15– Following charges by The Courier and others that an important June 21 meeting was invalid because it was held in violation of the state Open Meetings law, the Hardin County Budget Committee held a do-over Thursday evening.

At the earlier meeting, budget committee members reduced to 15 cents a previously recommended property tax increase of 25 cents.

Last night, prefacing taking up the same business addressed in June, Budget Committee Chairman Emery White described the matter as "a little bit of controversy about whether our last meeting was legal or not."

The newspaper contended inadequate public notice had been given of the June meeting.

The only written attempt to inform the public consisted of a sheet of paper tacked up on a bulletin board in the courthouse lobby on the same day as the meeting. Mayor Kevin Davis said he also verbally announced the budget committee meeting following adjournment of the June session of the Hardin County Commission, as a crowd of concerned citizens filed out of the room.

Budget committee members on Thursday promptly reaffirmed their earlier decisions on the tax rate, again recommending a 15 cent increase.

The budget committee also slashed $347,634 out of the Hardin County Board of Education’s proposed $26.9 million budget after the school board refused to do so as requested by the committee.

County officials have complained that education officials said expenses and the number of professional personnel would decline in the wake of the recent school consolidation, but say the opposite has happened.

In apparent response to suspicions that the board of education has unnecessarily puffed up the ranks of middle management and supervisors, among the cuts is $53,076 to pay Mark Massey, the school system’s personnel supervisor.

"A lot of people felt like it was the superintendent (Director of Schools John Thomas) who should be hiring and firing," said White.

Committee members said, however, that the school board can later shift funds within its budget, meaning Massey’s job may still be retained.

The county commission meets Monday at 6 p.m. to take up the entire proposed budget and tax rate for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.