BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court plans to apply for federal funding to renovate the Roy F. Collier Community Center and will hold a public hearing to gather input from residents before submitting the application.
The hearing is on the calendar for noon Friday, Aug. 22, in the Martin County Judge/Executive’s office at 42 E. Main Street in Inez. Citizens may attend in person or join virtually via Zoom.
According to a public notice published Aug. 13 in the Mountain Citizen, the county intends to seek funding through the Kentucky Department for Local Government’s 2025 Community Development Block Grant Community Projects Program.
The CDBG program assists with projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents, address urgent community needs and support local infrastructure and facilities.
Officials say the hearing will allow residents to share their views on community development needs, review proposed activities, review the development of the proposed application, and provide public comments.
Residents who want to know how much money is available, how the county will spend it, and what rules the county must follow can see those details at the judge/executive’s office before the hearing.
A copy of the CDBG application will be available for public review at the judge executive’s office from Wednesday, Aug. 13, through the start of the hearing Aug. 22 during regular business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Residents can direct written comments to Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty until noon Aug. 22.
Residents requiring special assistance to participate in the hearing can contact Kara Grace in the judge executive’s office at (606) 298-2800 at least five days before the meeting. The TDD number for people who are hard of hearing is 1-800-648-6057.
The Zoom link for the hearing is us02web.zoom.us/j/89163757103, with Meeting ID 89163757103 and Passcode 863312.
The Roy F. Collier Community Center opened in 2001 as a multi-purpose hub for recreation, culture and community gatherings. The facility features three cinemas, a fitness center, a gymnasium, meeting rooms and event spaces. Funding for its construction was through a combination of coal severance funds, other state and local appropriations and private donations as part of an early 2000s initiative to channel coal severance revenue into long-term community development projects.
In March 2021, as the center faced pandemic-related financial troubles, the loss of donors and a $60,000 electricity bill, the Martin County Public Library stepped in to cover the debt. Under an agreement with the center, the library relocated its main branch to the facility and assumed control of operations.
While the takeover kept the center open, utility and operating expenses have put a heavy strain on the library’s finances. Financial records show the district overspent its revenues by $315,193 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, with shortfalls of $142,000 in 2024, $89,456 in 2023 and $275,252 in 2022.
From 2020 to 2025, the library’s cash reserves and investments declined sharply. In 2020, the district held a certificate of deposit valued at more than $320,000 and $750,000 in its bank account. By 2021, it still had the CD, but cash had fallen to $563,000. In 2022, the CD remained, while cash on hand dropped to $286,000. In 2023, the CD was intact and bank funds fell to $198,000. By 2024, the CD was still present and valued at $327,000 while the bank balance shrank to $48,000. On June 30, 2025, the library reported $58,731 in its account and no certificate of deposit, marking the complete depletion of that long-held investment.
County officials did not respond to questions before press time.
The Community Development Block Grant program, which includes the Community Projects Program, is a federal grant program funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Kentucky receives CDBG funds on a formula basis and then awards grants to local governments.