On the heels of a Murray City Council vote to draft a payroll tax ordinance, county and city officials are at odds over whether the tax could be voted on in a city-wide ballot referendum.
County attorney Bryan Ernstberger issued a statement this week citing a particular Kentucky Revised Statute allowing for such a vote to occur. But Mayor Jack Rose has his own legal argument.
“We have an opinion from KLC and I also have the 1980 attorney general’s opinion and that basically says you can’t put it on the ballot,” Rose said.
City and county leaders remain at odds over instituting a one-percent payroll tax which will take two formal readings before its implementation. The city council approved drafting an ordinance Thursday night by a seven to six vote with Mayor Rose casting the tie-breaking vote.