MAGISTRATE SCOTT DAVIS FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST STORMWATER DISTRICT CHAIRMAN KEVIN ELDRIDGE

On February 12, 2010, Magistrate Scott Davis filed a lawsuit alleging that Oldham County Storm Water District Chairman Kevin Eldridge willfully withheld and refused to provide public information to Davis when formally requested by means of an "Open Records Request" pursuant to Kentucky law. Davis claims that Eldridge refused to provide all of the information related to bids and proposals for outsourcing the operations of the Storm Water District, which is now handled by Veolia Water.

Magistrate Scott Davis has been a foe of the methods used by the Murner administration and the Storm Water District since the formation of the District last year. He has stated that he believes that Oldham County needs to comply with the legal requirements of the environmental laws surrounding Storm Water regulations, but that he does not believe that it was necessary to form a separate District to comply with the laws nor was it necessary to charge the excessive fee that the county has mandated on homeowners, businesses, and others.

The Storm Water District has proven that Magistrate Scott Davis was correct. First, the District recently recommended that the fee be suspended for four months because it has collected excess money - imagine that. Why the District would temporarily suspend the fees but not reduce the fees is a question worth asking. My guess is that the District really wants to keep the fee at an excessive rate until the public furor over the rate subsides. Once that furor subsides there will be no suspensions of the collection of the fees and the fees will remain the same. The excessive fees will then likely be used for purposes that can disguised as Storm Water related, but are truly not.

Davis' claim that the District was not needed is also supported by Eldridge and the District because it has now recommended that the Fiscal Court consider combining the Storm Water District with the Sewer District. In my opinion, that would facilitate the channeling of Storm Water funds to the financially strapped Sewer District. Just remember everyone, follow the money trail. At the end of the money trail lies many answers to questions about control and influence in this county.

Lastly, let us not forget that Davis previously accused Judge-Executive Duane Murner of illegal secrecy concerning an open records violation and improper closed-door meeting of the Fiscal Court. Murner was convicted on both issues and Davis was proven to be correct.

To view the entire lawsuit/complaint click here