Former EDA board member upset with allegations about that agency

 SHEPHERDSVILLE - To say that former Bullitt County Economic Development Authority member Bob Hill was a bit disturbed may be an understatement.

Hill took offense at comments made at a recent meeting of Bullitt Fiscal Court.

The issue revolved around the lack of information presented from the EDA to the county judge’s office regarding the financial affairs of the agency.

“We have nothing to hide,” said Hill.

The issue over the financial dealings of the EDA came to surface recently.

When asked by fiscal court to look at the financial affairs of the agency, county attorney Monica Robinson noticed that the Bullitt County EDA had not been registered with the Kentucky secretary of state’s office in Frankfort.

She was concerned about the legality of the board and whether board members were protected from lawsuits.

That led into an update of the 1982 ordinance setting up the industrial board and included a provision that all the current board would be abolished and new membership appointed.

That revision of the ordinance led to a heated discussion in Bullitt Fiscal Court. It was there that comments made by elected officials upset Hill.

County Judge Melanie Roberts stated that she has asked for financial records from the EDA for the past seven years. She was concerned where the money was being used.

Hill presented a letter dated Jan. 11, 2012, to Roberts and the four magistrates. In that letter, it included an open request from any of the five members to call him with any questions on the 2010 and 2011 audits.

Conducted by Blue and Col., Hill said the audit was well done and followed the yellow book accounting practices required by the state.

Under the EDA bylaws, Hill said the audit must be conducted every two years and the resulted would be shared with elected officials.

He said that a copy of the audit was hand-delivered to the judge’s office and mailed to the four magistrates.

As each county is struggling to find money, Hill said Bullitt County is forced to use tax dollars such matters because the correspondence wasn’t reaching the magistrates.

Hill also pointed comments at Wantland for his views at the court meeting.

As the newest appointee to the board, Hill said he could understand not having a copy of the audit.

At the same time, Owen said she has made Wantland aware that the books of EDA are open for anyone’s inspection.

Hill said with the low volume of checks written, the agency could print them out each month.

Instead, he said the EDA must waste tax dollars in mailing out items for the magistrates since there is not a lot of confidence in material getting to them prior to their meetings.

As the individual spearheading the financial recordkeeping for the EDA, Hill said everything was open to anyone to search at any time.