Calloway County Judge Executive Larry Elkins dedicated his annual ‘state of the county address’ to talk about the ongoing library renovation issue. Elkins spoke Tuesday at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Elkins and the library board have been at odds since last fall, when he refused to support a library expansion that would cost $5.3 million dollars.
Elkins displayed documents that he said he obtained through an open records request to support his opposition for a library renovation and expansion. Elkins said the library board has raised taxes significantly over the past five years and cited a budget sheet showing $45,000 dollars for marketing and public relations in 2016-17 suggesting wasteful spending. He also criticized the board for selling ‘The Higgins House’ to Murray Main Street for $1-dollar, a property bought for $50,000 dollars in 1979, which Elkins claimed has a current valuation of $150,000.
“Basically the library board gave this property away at the same time they were raising your tax rates. No matter how good the cause, that is not good business and not what you should be doing with public property.” Elkins said.
But library board president Ryan Alessi said these numbers aren’t correct, stating that the board passed an amended budget for marketing and public relations, set at $19,500 for the fiscal year.
“I think it’s sad and disappointing that instead of laying out any kind of positive vision for the county that Mr. Elkins chose to spend the bulk of his remarks making these misleading assertions and out-right lies to attack the Calloway County Public Library.” Alessi said.
Elkins has refused to appoint new members to the library board and has called the nomination process “incestuous.” He has hired an attorney to look into Kentucky laws regarding how library boards are appointed. Kentucky first district state senator Stan Humphries has filed a bill that will change this law.
