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Financial matters were front and center at two recent Clark County Fiscal Court meetings.

During the court’s regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 28, it voted to approve a special financial transfer to the county’s general fund.

Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates brought the matter to the court’s attention during the meeting.

“The general fund finances are dangerously low,” Yates said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to keep the bills paid.”

Magistrate Dan Konstantopoulos revealed why that was the case.

“Our general fund bank balance is very low because our tax revenue hasn’t started coming in yet,” Konstantopoulos said in an interview after the meeting.

The magistrates initially suggested some ideas, including utilizing ARPA money to address the issue.

However, Magistrate Robert Blanton asserted that ARPA money could not be used and mentioned one potential alternative solution.

“Another option would be, and we haven’t done it during my tenure here, to borrow from the road fund and then pay it back to the road fund,” Blanton said.

Konstantopoulos responded that utilizing the special reserve or rainy day fund – approximately $548,000 – could be used.

“Roughly about six [or] seven years ago, I made a motion to move $500,000 over into a rainy day fund. Here, that rainy day has come where we were able to transfer that $500,000 back to the general fund until our tax revenue comes in,” Konstantopoulos said after the meeting.

After further discussion, a motion was made by Konstantopoulos and approved unanimously to transfer $548,000 from the rainy day fund to the general fund, with the money to be transferred back once tax revenue was received.

On Oct. 4, a special called meeting occurred to discuss financing for a new fire truck with the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACO).

KACO helps advocate and work with county governments throughout the state.

At the meeting, Yates read the proposed ordinance aloud.

“The public purpose which necessitated the lease [is to] provide [a] firefighting vehicle to provide protection of the public life and property”, he said. “The terms of the lease agreement is a ten-year lease not to exceed $740,000. The strategy of the county to meet the financial commitment imposed by this lease [is] to come out of the general fund.”

The ordinance prepared by KACO passed unanimously.