The Trigg County Board of Education has chosen its path on how to proceed, having filed a complaint in Trigg Circuit Court against a petition that was certified by County Clerk Carmen Finley and signed by residents who wish to put the board’s proposed nickel tax on the ballot.
Board Attorney Jack Lackey, Jr. filed the 12-page complaint this week making several claims including that the initial affidavit filed with the clerk’s office on December 18 by the ‘Trigg County Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increases’ committee lacked notarization of the five signatures of the committee members. It also asserts that none of the individuals were placed under oath with respect to their signatures on the affidavit.
Lackey asserts the affidavit does not state that those signing will be responsible for circulating the petition and filing it in proper form.
He writes that of the 175 pages of signatures making up the committee’s petition, 66 were signed at the bottom by someone other than a committee member and that the signature of committee Chair Lisa Champion was added to go along with the nonmember’s signature.
Clerk Finley issued a letter on January 23 determining there was sufficient signatures to place the nickel tax question on the ballot, but Lackey contends in his complaint that the affidavit failed to comply with state law requirement by being deficient in several ways.
He claims the county clerk violated Section of 2 of the Kentucky Constitution and asks the court to rule the petition filed by the citizens group is insufficient and void.
The Trigg school board approved a nickel tax ordinance in December to increase bonding capacity to increase bonding capacity for major renovations to existing facilities.