Three special districts cited for noncompliance
The Department of Local Government announced the McCreary County Conservation District, South McCreary Fire Department and West McCreary Fire Department have failed to comply with state reporting laws and has withheld any state funding for both organizations until further notice.
The DLG has published notices of non-compliance for the two fire department special districts in this week’s Voice, (the conservation ran last week) informing the public of the violations and declaring any funding for the districts would be withheld until the situation is corrected.
According to the DLG Special Purpose Government Entity public portal, the Conservation District and the South McCreary Fire Department had failed to furnish the DLG their annual budget by the March 1 deadline. West McCreary is considered exempt from reporting status this year, but the department has not filed a report detailing Actuals from 2016.
Kentucky Revised Statute 56A.040 2(c) stipulates the penalty for failing to comply will result in withholding of any state funding until the information is provided, as well as publication of the notice of non compliance in the legal newspaper of the county the agency represents.
The districts could also receive an audit or special examination from the Auditor of Public Accounts.
Tella Tucker, the representative for the Conservation District stated the failure to timely upload the information was an oversight and would be corrected as soon as possible.
The McCreary County Tourist Commission, which for more than a year has operated without a Director, was also subject of a non-compliance notice last week, but the group was granted an extension after they failed to receive official notification prior to the deadline. The Commission has since updated all necessary information and will not be subject to any potential withholdings.
