The Fiscal Court meeting on Tuesday kicked off with a non-agenda item, which led to a robust debate over two issues related to the Woodford County Fire Department (WCFD) and its governing board, Woodford County Fire Protection District (District), which has spilled out onto various social media Facebook pages and appears to be developing into an issue for the fall election season.
One issue, which took up substantial time at a few of the recent court meetings, was the recent decision of the court, voting 5-3, to appoint Judge-Executive James Kay’s recommendation of Jamie Littleton Bland rather than reappoint John Varner to the fire board. Varner is the brother of Magistrate Darrell Varner, who recused himself at the Aug. 18 meeting when it was discussed at length. (Typically, board appointments take less than a minute or two.)
The other issue was the property tax rate.
A few sessions ago, the Kentucky Legislature exempted fire districts from needing the approval of a fiscal court for its chosen annual tax rate. The District set the same rate for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 as was in place for 2025-2026, 7.3 cents per $100 of assessed property. Kay argued, though the rate was the same, it generated more revenue due to increases in property values, thus suggesting the Fire Board should decrease its rate, particularly since the District’s proposed budget did not call for hiring new personnel or significant equipment needs.
Magistrate Mary Ann Gill, along with Magistrate Jackie Brown, argued, amongst her points, that the Board was best positioned to: decide what it needed in order to provide for the fire protection needs of the county (WCFD’s primary jurisdiction is everything except Versailles and Midway), the court did not have the power to set or approve the rate, and the amount being argued over was minimal.
Though these issues had finally been resolved at the Aug. 18 meeting, they reemerged at this week’s meeting when WCFD Chief Melvin Montgomery spoke during the “public comment” section of the meeting, while making it clear he was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the Board.
“I feel like all this over an appointment and a tax rate. I have been personally attacked by comments on Facebook,” Montgomery said. “I understood (Kay) wanted us to keep the rate the same and the Board agreed. It gives us a little more revenue, (but) it’s (only) $3.33 a month on a $400,000 home. I started 30 years ago and for 17 years as a volunteer. I take pride in what I do, the WCFD, and where we are today . . . and we are trying to keep moving forward.”
He also said this all blew up over Facebook and is causing a “major headache at the station, and my guys are ticked off and I have to calm them down.” He added that there are 38 volunteer firefighters, and eight are full-time.
Montgomery went on to address the ISO rating (a system used by homeowner insurers to set rates; the better the rating, the lower the rates charged to consumers), explaining that the 2022 decrease was due to hydrant locations in new builds, dry hydrants and lower than optimal water pressure. Montgomery said these have been aggressively addressed by changing regulations to require hydrants within 1,000 feet of a new building and, clearing up dry hydrants with help from the Fiscal Court. But, as Gill noted later in the meeting, the water pressure issue is a result of areas in Southern Woodford County that have chronically had serious issues, which are out of the control of the WCFD.
He also explained that the District is out of compliance with the requirements of the Special Purpose Government Agency due to the tight turnaround of its audit reporting requirements from when the District has the information to provide to its accountants. Montgomery said he has been in communication with the SPGA, and has been assured: “Don’t worry about it, enter it when you get it.”
“If you don’t have anything good to say about the WCFD, just don’t say nuthin’,” he concluded. “I don’t see the benefit anybody gets on Facebook by attacking the fire department. When people come to me, they aren’t mad at the fire department; they want to know what’s wrong with the Fiscal Court.”
Later in the meeting following the acceptance of the property tax rates of the Woodford County Health Department and Woodford County Library Board, Kay said that though the districts set their own rates, the Fiscal Court “is responsible for the tax policy and encouraging the tax districts to represent and respond to the needs of Woodford County citizens . . . who are grappling with high inflation . . . property tax is important and important to bring down.”
He then went on to respond to Montgomery.
“No comments I’ve ever made in (Fiscal Court) or on Facebook had anything . . . to relate to the operations of the District, never said anything about Chief Montgomery or our firefighters, who I respect deeply and are heroes, and Chief Montgomery is a hero.”
He then said, “I will say there are members of this Fiscal Court who have taken to Facebook, which is their right. . . . (But), these debates (during meetings) are welcome as are any debates related to public policy.”
Kay noted that the decision to hire three new firefighters by the District were not included in the 2026-2027 FY budget, and that though the Fiscal Court is willing to support the District with additional funding, and has shown through use of ARPA funds to increase salaries and grants to purchase equipment, it is the responsibility of the District to ask for help and make the Fiscal Court aware when it needs help.
Gill responded to Kay’s comments, saying, “I have seen very negative comments directed at the fire department and made by Fiscal Court members.” She went on to detail how the ISO rating was primarily due to the chronic water issues in the county, and out of the control of the District. She also pointed out, as she had at the earlier August meeting, “These are first responders who have to be ready at a moment’s notice, they control six fire stations, and the amount (needed) for present and future needs, which this court knows nothing about.”
She ended her remarks saying, “I am just asking (us) to leave our personal agendas at the door, let’s get back to just serving the county and stop trying to micromanage the other SPGs.”
Magistrate Darrell Varner said he agreed with Gill’s points, and added that though invited, neither Kay nor Magistrate John Gentry attended any of the District’s public meetings. He also noted the District likely needed to make the three new firefighter hires as it has had a lack of recruiting new volunteers.
“Stop talking on Facebook, let’s move on and do what the people elected us to do,” he pleaded.
The final word on the subject was left to the senior-most member of the court in terms of service, Magistrate Jackie Brown, “This is my seventh court . . . after all this is over, we still have to live here. Let’s settle down and get off Facebook. This is no different from every four years (when we have magistrate elections); everyone here is nice, you are smart and you are young, well, some of us. If you have something to say to someone, just go talk to them.”
Kay concluded the discussion, thanking all for engaging in the debate and discussion, for the civility all showed even though, for some, it was emotional.
Other matters
Due to space and time, there will be a story in next week’s Sun covering other subjects taken up by the Fiscal Court, including: a permit application for the Bourbon Chase Run, a new airfield at the county park for the model airplane club and rezoning of the Midway EMS station to sell.