BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Financial auditor Jim Bryant from Wells & Company presented the City of Inez with audits for 2021 and 2022, stating the audits were clean and the city was on solid financial footing. Bryant brought his report to the Inez Commission’s special meeting Sept. 12 at City Hall, which also saw discussions on other matters.
The auditor explained the city must undergo an audit biennially and file a financial statement with the Kentucky Department for Local Government in alternating years.
“It was a clean report, as far as my audit,” Bryant said. “The financial statements present fairly the city’s financial position.”
Bryant shared detailed insights into the city’s fund financials, noting the general fund balance increased in two years from $95,540 to $239,513 by June 30, 2023.
“Several years ago, your fund balance was really low,” said Bryant. “It’s increased quite a bit in the last several years. So you seem to be on solid footing as far as your finances.”
Bryant added that ARPA funding accounted for some of the increase.
The auditor detailed that for the fiscal year concluding June 30, 2023, the General Fund registered total revenues of $117,266. This encompassed intergovernmental revenue $59,820; property tax $29,886; franchise fees & taxes $21,009; telecommunications tax $236; licenses & permits $3,938; interest $94; and miscellaneous $2,283.
Meanwhile, expenditures for the same period stood at $96,826, distributed among general government administration at $57,129, street at $37,943, and capital outlay at $1,754.
For the 2021 fiscal year, the general fund reported a revenue of $139,168, with expenditures listed at $84,316.
Clerk pursues grant for exercise station
City clerk Lisa Mollett is investigating an AARP grant for an outdoor adult workout center.
“If we get the grant, there will be money to train a couple of people in the community to show people how to use the equipment properly,” Mollett said. “It’s from AARP, so it’s low-impact stuff for senior citizens. It would be really good for the community.”
Mollette said AARP has paid for one in every state, “but Kentucky’s is in Louisville.” She jokingly added, “We’re in that other Kentucky. I think it is something we ought to pursue.”
Streets and signs
Following Commissioner Roy Penix’s update on street department activities, Commissioner Carolyn Horn commended Penix and the street department for painting curbs throughout the city.
“It looks so nice,” she said.
Mayor Ed Daniels reported the city had ordered two new signs to replace those commemorating the Inez High School 1941 and 1954 state champion basketball teams.
Horn suggested the city donate the old signs to the Martin County All-Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. She asked Mollett to find out which mayor erected the signs so the city could write the mayor’s name on the back of the old signs.
“It was either Rick Penix or Mickey McCoy,” Daniels offered.
“Whichever one you want,” said Horn. “I just think we need to preserve them.”
Commissioner Jennifer Wells commented, “The Historial Society might want one too if we’ve got duplicates.”
“Yes, we have three,” said Horn. “I just felt we needed to do something with them to preserve them.”
City donates to festival
On another financial note, the commission voted to donate $4,500 to support the upcoming Christmas in the Mountains festival. (See the related story in this edition of the newspaper.)
Pedway hoax
Horn asked Mayor Daniels about the status of the city’s investment in the Rockcastle Pedway project. The Transportation Alternatives Program project started in 2009 and was ultimately dropped after the city invested significant funds.
“I really truly think that somebody owes us that,” Horn said.
Daniels replied that he spoke with Representative Bobby McCool about it.
“That’s as far as I got with it,” he said.
In response to questions posed by former Inez Commissioner Dennis Hall, Daniels revealed in May that the city invested $10,000 in initial engineering services, $23,000 for property acquisition, and an unspecified amount in additional engineering services.
“The lady that was in that office on that, she went to something else, or she resigned or something,” Daniels told Hall, referring to Kimberly Tompkins, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Alternatives Program coordinator in charge of the project that had been put out for bids twice and reportedly awarded.
For 14 years, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials led the city and the county to believe the project was a go. However, the mayor revealed in May that he had sent the project paperwork to an attorney to investigate and had asked Martin County Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty to help get information on the project.