WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) — Four Clark County Fiscal Court magistrates have accused a judge-executive of unilaterally implementing pay increases to county employees without fiscal court authorization.
Local news outlets report that magistrates Pamela Blackburn, Daniel Konstantopolous, Robert Blanton and Joe Graham filed a petition for declaratory judgment Thursday, saying that Judge-Executive Henry Branham has no unilateral authority to give pay increases.
County Attorney Brian Thomas says the pay increases were part of a budget approved by the fiscal court.
The magistrates argue that there was no mention of employee pay increases in the minutes of the county’s budget workshops last year. They say that the court approved the budget, but did not approve raises.
A hearing on the petition has not been scheduled yet before Clark Circuit Judge Jean Chenault Logue.