ARE CRIMINAL CHARGES IN OLDHAM COUNTY'S FUTURE

Recently, the Oldham County Fiscal Court awarded a contract to clean the Oldham County Fiscal Court Building to a company called Classic Cleaning. At the time I thought that it was a conflict of interest as Classic Cleaning is owned by Wendi McGohon and Tina Schaaf, both of whom are employed in the office of Oldham County Judge-Executive Duane Murner. Further, there was another company that sought the contract through a bid.

Approximately one month ago I received an anonymous letter advising me that Oldham County Jail inmates were cleaning the Fiscal Court Building and that McGohon and Schaaf were not actually performing the work. On January 26, 2010 my wife personally witnessed an inmate cleaning the Fiscal Building. Additionally, I have been informed by at least three other people that inmates were being used to clean the building.

Upon receiving the anonymous letter, the first question that I asked myself was “Did the bid request for proposals make the inmate help available to the other bidder involved in the process?” I doubt that it was, and have heard that it was not. When was the decision made to allow the contractors to use inmates to clean the building? Frankly, this smells like “bid-rigging”.

I intend to do more investigating of this matter. I believe that there is enough information and witnesses available at this point to take the matter to authorities outside the county. I have been told that the county has stopped allowing the inmates to clean the Fiscal Court Building due to complaints, including those made by individuals working in the Fiscal Court Building. However, the toothpaste is already out of the tube and if you have tried to put toothpaste back in a tube, you know that it is almost impossible. The fact is that any other bidder on the contract should have a basis to file suit against the county unless something is done to make the losing bidder(s) “whole”.

It is a shame that a county which has enjoyed the reputation that Oldham County enjoyed just a few years ago now seems be under a cloud all the time. If this trend continues Oldham residents will be looking for “vanity” license plates that don’t reflect their home county.

As I say, stay tuned. Certainly more will follow on this issue.