kentonfiscalcourt

Things got ugly quick and stayed that way at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Kenton County Fiscal Court.

As promised, Judge-Executive Steve Arlinghaus presented a resolution he crafted urging the county to take a position against the recommendations Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen made about the structure of the Kenton County Airport Board following an in-depth examination.

Prior to the vote on Arlinghaus’s resolution, one he previewed to mayors in the county at their monthly meeting where they were urged to adopt a similar sentiment, the outgoing Judge-Executive played a clip from Edelen’s press conference in which the recommendations were announced. Currently all seven voting members of the airport board are appointed by the Kenton County Judge-Executive. Edelen recommends expanding the board to eleven members with three appointed by Kenton County and the remainder appointed by three other surrounding counties, Cincinnati, and the governors in both Kentucky and Ohio.

Arlinghaus called Edelen’s position “disturbing”, particularly the statement that Kenton County does not own the airport.

Then, a clip of County Commissioner Kris Knochelmann was played. Knochelmann, who defeated Arlinghaus in a bitter Republican primary in May, appeared with Edelen at the press conference. 

“What are you afraid of?,” Knochelmann asked in the clip, when referencing the expansion of representation on the board. “It’s good government.”

Knochelmann has since appointed a task force made up of local civic and business leaders to work on a recommendation that could possibly be turned into legislation for the next session of the Kentucky General Assembly in early 2015.

For the first half hour of Tuesday’s meeting, the topic was the airport board and Kenton County’s ownership of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). Arlinghaus reiterated his claim that the board’s problems arose because of “a disgruntled board member who has caused a lot of the ruckus”. That was another reference to Nathan Smith, appointed by Governor Steve Beshear to the airport board’s non-voting advisory committee which would be eliminated under Edelen’s plan. Arlinghaus said that Smith was the financial director of Edelen’s campaign for auditor.

Neither Knochelmann nor Commissioner Beth Sewell would support Arlinghaus’s resolution, though both said that Kenton County should retain the majority of seats on the board. Sewell had trouble with the language. “Ohio-controlled media? …Desire to strip control? That’s unnecessary,” Sewell said. “We don’t have to be critical of the auditor. I don’t want to vote yes on a resolution that includes these types of items.”

Arlinghaus interrupted. “So, you’re willing to give away – “

“I’m not willing to give away, that’s not what I’m saying. Don’t go down that path.” Sewell continued, “You were the one, sir, who appointed members from Cincinnati. Now it’s an awful thing? … It sends the message that we don’t want to play with them anymore.”

Commissioner Jon Draud said that he agrees with the entirety of the resolution and suggested that Edelen made unconstitutional recommendations about appointing members from out of state. “It doesn’t give us much faith in the state auditor,” Draud said. 

“We’re wasting a lot of time on an unnecessary issue,” Knochelmann interjected. “It’s very unfortunate that we’re wasting time doing what’s done. I’m not going to go down the road you’ve chosen to go down, Judge Arlinghaus. It’s said.”

“Most people are tired of hearing about all of the nastiness.”

“It sends the right message to members of the General Assembly,” Draud said. 

“You’re not doing yourself or the community any benefit,” Knochelmann said to Arlinghaus. “Let’s vote and move forward.”

So, they voted. Arlinghaus, Draud, yes. Knochelmann, Sewell, no. Tie: 2-2.

Knochelmann presented an alternative resolution that removed what Sewell characterized as “emotion” in Arlinghaus’s resolution. When Knochelmann asked the judge whether it would be brought to a vote, Arlinghaus said, “No, sir.”

Knochelmann would eventually bring his resolution to a vote at the end of the meeting but not before another disagreement about which firm would conduct the county’s annual audit. The issue went out to bid and the lowest bid came in from Cincinnati-based Berninger Maddox, but county staff determined that because the firm had limited government auditing experience that it would be best to go with Ft. Mitchell-based Von Lehman.

Disagreement ensued because Von Lehman was not the second-lowest bidder. That was Barnes & Denning, but county staff determined that the number of hours presented by that firm as the amount of time needed to do the work was too low. As Knochelmann peppered Treasurer Roy Cox and County Attorney Garry Edmondson with questions, Draud interrupted, “No one’s allowed to talk but Kris tonight, Judge, is that it?”

Arlinghaus said that it would ultimately be roughly a $5,000 difference between the lowest bid and Von Lehman over a 2-year period. Sewell was concerned that the move would imply that Kenton County is not welcome to competition from firms that have not previously worked here.

The issue of awarding the contract to Von Lehman was presented for a vote. Draud was first to vote and was in support of the move. “I hope if this vote ends in a tie that Adam Edelen doesn’t do the books.”

The vote did end in a tie, 2-2, with Arlinghaus joining Draud and Knochelmann and Sewell opposing it. They voted unanimously to reject all bids and to send the contract back out.

Then at the end of the meeting Knochelmann brought his resolution back for consideration. “You just told me you don’t want to talk about this issue any further,” Arlinghaus said.

“Come on,” Knochelmann replied. The commissioner expressed frustration over the video clips and said that he could play some video clips, too. “I’d be happy to go toe to toe with you. I think I did that in May.”

Knochelmann said, “I suggest we come together as a community with a mature, forward-thinking discussion”.

“Why don’t we approve both resolutions in the spirit of cooperation?,” Draud suggested, dubbing himself “the Henry Clay of this organization”, to laughter. 

Instead, Knochelmann’s resolution was also rejected in a 2-2 tie.

Asked after the meeting about the events that took place, Knochelmann said that the General Assembly would not act on anything unless Northern Kentucky was unified in the approach. He expressed concern that the continued arguments over the airport and its governance overshadow the positive news about the work being done there with more flights and lower cost carriers arriving. 

“The campaign was in May,” Knochelmann said. “I thought we had a commitment that we would work with each other so the transition would be smooth. We spent forty minutes talking about (the airport). It’s sad. I think everyone can explain for themselves why it’s sad.”

Story & photo by Michael Monks, editor & publisher of The River City News