Judge Moore saves Boone County tax money on Hawaii vacation!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Judge Moore travels the globe to save Boone County tax dollars!

Moore took trips at group's expense
By Amanda Van Benschotenavanbenschoten@nky.com

Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore has taken at least three trips during the past four years paid for by the Kentucky Association of Counties, according to records of the group's expenses.
KACo is under investigation by the state Auditor's Office following a recent Lexington Herald-Leader report about its spending practices.
KACo is essentially funded by tax dollars, since its budget is made up of dues and fees paid by the counties.
The group spent $600,000 on travel, meals, gifts and other items in 2007 and 2008, according to the report.
That includes at least $3,000 on two trips taken by Moore, according to expense records posted on the Herald-Leader's Web site.
In a statement, Moore said he often attends National Association of Counties (NACo) conferences and events.
"From time to time KACo has offered to cover some of this expense, saving the citizens of Boone County budgeted tax dollars," he said.
In early March 2007, he traveled to Washington, D.C., with a state group for a NACo legislative conference.
KACo paid $2,279.79 for Moore's five-night stay at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel, just two blocks from the White House.
The group also paid for his August 2008 trip to the NACo annual conference in Kansas City, Mo.
His Delta Air Lines flight cost $420. A note on the expense record asks if Moore should be sent an invoice for the flight; a second note says KACo would pay for it.
The group also paid for his three-day stay (and that of at least 22 other people) at the Holiday Inn Aladdin.
The Herald-Leader has reported that Moore's flight and hotel stay totaled $720. KACo also paid $7,000 for a group dinner on that trip.
Moore disclosed that he also traveled to Hawaii in July 2005 for the NACo annual conference. That trip was not included in the other records.
He was accompanied by County Commissioners Charlie Kenner and Terri Moore, then-County Administrator Jim Parsons, and some of their spouses, whom he said traveled at their own expense.
Moore said most of the trip was paid for from the county's training and travel budget, which is approved annually in the operating budget.
Moore said he used personal SkyMiles for his flight, and KACo paid for the hotel.
He issued three brief statements this week, but he has declined to discuss further details about the trips.
The issue was raised Tuesday by his primary opponent, Commissioner Cathy Flaig, who says she has never taken a KACo-funded trip.
In a statement Thursday, she accused Moore of "a lack of judgment" for accepting travel from a group that does business with the county.
Moore said Flaig is attacking him on the issue "because she has no real vision to move Boone County forward."

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Living the Dream from Falmouth to Washington D.C. - The Gary Moore Story


Here is Moore's statement on July 21st 2010.
"I have never accepted any inappro- priate or expensive gifts from KACo. I have serious concerns about the recent allegations against KACo staff and board actions, of which I have never been a member."

But guess what The Lexington Herald - Leader found among the expenses of KACo officials?? KACo had spent $7,000 in tickets to the 2008 Ryder Cup, hotel rooms costing as much as $550 including a 5 day stay for Judge Gary Moore at the posh Willard Hotel in Washington D.C. Gary's tab was only $2300 for the 5 days!!! According to Judge Moore that is not inappropriate or expensive!
CHAMPAGNE WISHES AND CAVIAR DREAMS!
...more reports coming soon!!


Board
KACO
Name
KACO
Credit/Cash
DIRECT
Title

Date of expense
3/3/2007
Amount
939.63
Vendor
WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL
Location
WASHINGTON
D.C.
Type of expense
HOTEL
Explanation
GARY MOORE - 3/1 $500.65 ROOM, ON COMMAND DIGITAL MOVIE $16.33, BEVERAGE $10.40, 3/2 $296.65 ROOM "GO OVER WITH BOB" "PAY"


Board
KACO
Name
KACO
Credit/Cash
DIRECT
Title

Date of expense
3/6/2007
Amount
1,340.16
Vendor
WILLARD INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL
Location
WASHINGTON
D.C.
Type of expense
HOTEL
Explanation
GARY MOORE - 3/3-3/5 ($254, $458 X 2) ALSO IF KACO PROG BONDS NEED TO REIMBURSE

Friday, July 10, 2009

July 8, 2009
Boone officials clash over tax rolls
By Amanda Van Benschotenavanbenschoten@nky.com
BURLINGTON -
A political firestorm that has been brewing for weeks between County Commissioner Charlie Kenner and Property Valuation Administrator Cindy Rich came to a head at Tuesday's Fiscal Court meeting.
The two traded verbal jabs during a tense 14-minute presentation Rich made in response to Kenner's public criticism of her job performance two weeks ago.
It all began in early June with the revelation that this year's commercial tax rolls were projected to drop by $500 million from 2008.
Following media reports, county and PVA staff looked into the issue and discovered that hundreds of commercial properties worth more than $300 million were omitted from initial calculations.
The commercial tax rolls are now projected to drop by $200 million instead. The data is not yet certified.
Rich attributed the mistake to a computer glitch. She said the omitted properties were on the tax rolls, but were coded incorrectly in the system.
Kenner said the codes weren't wrong when he examined the software program. When asked, he couldn't recall when that was.
"There was no computer glitch - I don't buy that. I've got some serious concerns here, and some red flags are up," he said at the June 23 Fiscal Court meeting.
"They were all very high-end properties, things like Kroger Marketplace in Hebron and Meijer on Houston Road. That's a pretty glaring error, in my opinion. So I'd like to get to the bottom and see what's going on here, and proceed from there," he said.
Rich said she "was horribly offended" by his remarks, and he should have approached her privately.
Kenner said he began researching the issue just before the June 23 meeting and didn't have time to do so.
She attended Tuesday's meeting to defend herself.
"I remind you, Commissioner, I do not answer to this body," she said. "I answer to Boone County citizens and taxpayers only. I have oversight by the Department of Revenue. I am here for them, and not you."
"You should really know what you're talking about before you lash out at someone," she told Kenner.
She said he examined the wrong part of the program when he concluded the codes weren't the issue.
She also invited him to read aloud a July 6 letter from the software manufacturer that blamed "software idiosyncrasies" for the mistake, and she produced e-mails that showed the problem was fixed.
"If you really wanted to address this, you would have given me a report ahead of time like I asked for two weeks ago," Kenner said. "I don't intend to be a part of these personal attacks on me. I also answer to taxpayers - that's why I bring these things up, Cindy. Don't personalize this."
"I think you personalized this two weeks ago," she shot back.
Kenner, 55, also scolded Rich, 27, for her forceful attitude and for smirking at him.
"Laughing at me in that conduct does not become you," he said.
"Well, I'm sorry, Commissioner Kenner, but you started it," she replied.
Judge-executive Gary Moore abruptly ended the discussion without comment after Rich's presentation.
"I am focusing on keeping the court focused on doing the county's business, and not allowing the arena to be used for political purposes," he said.
After the meeting, Kenner said he was "absolutely not" convinced by Rich's presentation, but refused to elaborate.
"I have my reasons," he said. "...That's her version. I very much disagree with her version of the events."

Judge Moore has a little trouble with math!