Scott County Special Service Area On Track After Judge’s Order

By Benjamin Cox on March 14, 2023 at 8:58am

The Scott County Special Service Area is on track to receive funding this year after the commissioners missed a crucial deadline in December.

According to a press release yesterday afternoon from Scott County State’s Attorney Rick Crews, Scott County Circuit Judge David Cherry entered an order on Tuesday, March 7th directing the county to adopt a tax levy and accept it for the special service area. The order also authorized and directed the Scott County Clerk’s Office to extend taxes as levied by the commissioners for payment this year.

According to Crews, the order follows the filing of a complaint by Attorney James Sinclair on behalf of the Winchester EMS which alleged that the County Commissioners were informed that there was a problem with the legal description of the Special Service Area, and having been informed of the problem, failed to levy a tax for the Special Service Area prior to an imposed deadline of December 27th. The complaint also said it was in the best interests of the count to proceed with levying the tax as had been intended prior to the deadline.

In the press release, Commissioner Chair Bob Schafer, Commissioner John Simmons, and State’s Attorney Crews all said the order entry by Judge Cherry resolves the issues concerning the deadline not being met and they were all in favor for moving forward with securing funding with the Special Service Area.

Crews and Sinclair also agree that the remaining steps in the process is for the Winchester EMS to contract with the county to provide ambulance services, and prior to any funds being disbursed to the EMS, a financial audit must be completed. Sinclair has confirmed to the State’s Attorney’s Office that he will be working with the Winchester EMS in the coming weeks to address both the contract and audit.

The setting of the tax levy was placed on this afternoon’s Scott County Commissioner’s Agenda. A call by WLDS News to Commissioner Chair Bob Schafer early yesterday afternoon inquiring about the numbers of the tax levy has not been returned as of press time.