By JAMES BROWN
Glasgow News 1
The Glasgow Common Council approved four resolutions — two related to grant applications — and city occupational tax administrator Nick Hurt spoke at its regular Monday meeting.
Hurt updated the council on legislation that has been filed in the Kentucky House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would instruct the state treasurer to develop a web-based system that would be a centralized location at the state level for the collection of occupational fees and taxes. That collection is done at present by cities that have the tax.
Hurt said his office makes daily deposits into the city’s general fund account from the payments of the occupational fees. He said a centralized state system could delay such deposits by 12 business days.
Councilman Randy Wilkinson asked if it would be beneficial to the city to have the state handle the work of collecting the fees and taxes, “if you’re going to get the same amount of money? Is there a negative side to this?”
“One of the reasons for the opposition to this is we just don’t know where it is going to go from here,” Mayor Henry Royse said.
“What’s going to happen is, yes, it will be centralized, but when [the state] takes it in, it could take time to make it back to us,” Hurt said. “Where daily now I make a deposit of what’s collected during the day.”
Councilman Terry Bunnell said the occupational license fee is a large part of the city’s general fund revenue. He said if the bill passed, “… we are going to depend upon the General Assembly to make decisions about the timing of that, system involved, and we are letting someone else control … over 60 percent of our general fund revenue, leaving local and going to Frankfort.”
The council discussed House Bill 253 prior to approving a resolution opposing the bill. It was filed in the Committee on Committee’s on Feb. 4.
Hurt also explained his role in the medical cannabis business that is now legal in Kentucky. He said his only role was to collect fees associated with a medical cannabis businesses, which is the same with all types of businesses.
“As of today, no one has applied for a business license for a medical cannabis-related business in the city of Glasgow,” Hurt said. “For the Glasgow city fees, as the administrator, I can only charge a medical cannabis-related business as any other business.
“Basically, all I can do is get a business registration form and fee, and then they pay net profit and they pay occupational payroll taxes.”
The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services regulates medical cannabis, Hurt said. “They are going to be the ones that police it.”
The council approved a resolution supporting the filing for a grant under Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. The grant application is refiled annually and provides 50 percent of the funding for the Glasgow Transit System, which provides the city bus service.
The other grant resolution focused on funds for confined space training for Glasgow fire fighters. It was also approved.
The other approved resolution was for the certified city of ethics proposal.
New Glasgow police officer Colton Riley was sworn in by the mayor at the beginning of the meeting.
The next council meeting is Feb. 24.
Glasgow Mayor Henry Royce swears in new Glasgow police officer Colton Riley. Also picture is Riley’s wife, Alyssa Riley. James Brown/Glasgow News 1
