Imes commits $45,000 to parks through December

Calloway County Judge-Executive Kenny Imes committed $45,000 to Murray-Calloway County Parks and Recreation over the remainder of his term in office by an executive order presented at Wednesday’s fiscal court meeting. The six-month commitment temporarily resolves a public dispute over support for the city-owned park system but leaves funding for the second half of fiscal year 2027 undecided.

The order directs the county treasurer to pay the City of Murray $7,500 per month, July through December, from a contingency fund in the FY 2027 budget.

Imes framed the action as an effort to honor a commitment made during his administration without binding the officials who will succeed him. Imes lost the Republican primary in his bid for reelection in May to Fourth District Magistrate Paul Rister. Rister now faces independent candidates Boone Chambers and Gidget Manning in the general election.

“I have strong feelings about encumbering any future fiscal courts,” Imes said.

The order begins with his oath of office in January 2019 and the pledge he made alongside the mayor to work cooperatively for the benefit of Calloway County residents. It then recounts the 2021 transfer of the park to the city and states that Imes wants to honor the spirit of the agreement reached at that time.

“So, basically, we’ll continue as we have been for the last three or four years (giving) to the city park, $7,500 a month, which, through December, will be $45,000 out of that special contingency fund," he explained.

The funding dispute became public June 2, when the Murray Park Board issued a press release following a special meeting called to discuss the park's FY 2027 budget.

The board said its budget committee prepared the proposed budget anticipating the same level of support from the fiscal court as in previous years, noting that the county had budgeted at least $90,000 annually for park operations since transferring its ownership interest to the City of Murray in 2021.

In the release, the Park Board claimed it learned from a fiscal court member that the funding was not included in the county’s proposed budget and accused county leadership of choosing not to support the park. It also emphasized that the city had continued operating the facility as the Murray-Calloway County Park, keeping its amenities and programs open to county residents while investing in improvements.

Imes responded the following day with his own press release, saying the fiscal court had taken no formal action to eliminate or deny park funding because the county’s budget process was still underway. He characterized the county’s payments since relinquishing its ownership interest as contributions made in good faith rather than a permanent obligation.

Imes also said the proposed budget included a contingency fund for organizations the county had previously supported through line-item appropriations. Nonprofit organizations, he said, would be able to request money from the fund during the coming fiscal year, with requests considered individually.

Mayor Bob Rogers addressed the issue during the June 11 Murray City Council meeting, saying Imes had confirmed that the proposed county budget did not contain a line item for the parks. Rogers said the city understood the 2021 agreement to mean the county would make a good-faith effort to continue its annual contribution.

“For a couple of years, they did,” Rogers said. “Then, a couple years ago, they cut it by $30,000, and then this year, there’s nothing in their budget for next year.”

Wednesday’s executive order states that the county appropriated $120,000 for park operations during FY 2023 and subsequently budgeted $90,000 annually as funding allowed. It describes the six months of payments as temporary assistance intended to preserve the county’s commitment to the cooperative agreement while expressly stating that future fiscal courts are not obligated to continue the funding.

Before the second reading of the FY 2027 budget, Imes asked County Clerk Antonia Faulkner to read the order aloud, saying it should put people’s minds at rest about the county’s support of the park for the remainder of the calendar year.

Imes then invited questions or comments from the magistrates and the public, but no one spoke. The fiscal court unanimously approved the budget.

The Murray Park Board will hold another special called meeting to discuss its FY 2027 budget Thursday at noon.

Download Calloway County's FY 26-27 budget here.