The Bourbon Town Council held a Public Hearing to re-establish the Cumulative Capital Development (CCD) Rate. The council approved an ordinance which re-established the fund and set the rate at .05 per $100 of assessed valuation. It begins with taxes payable in 2024.
The Council discussed ordinance 2023-6 Police Issued Handguns. The ordinance would establish a process by which the Town of Bourbon and the council, at their discretion, would provide an officer with their issued handgun as a retirement recognition. The ordinance required that an officer must have served Bourbon with the Police Department for 20 consecutive years to be eligible.
Council Vice President Les McFarland said he supported the ordinance, but wanted to confirm that the council had discretion to make exceptions, such as if an officer fell ill and had to retire early.
Town Attorney Alex Hoover noted that the ordinance as written required 20 years. Twenty years could be removed or the ordinance could be amended to clarify special exceptions. Hoover confirmed that it would not have been permissible to make the exception with the way the ordinance was worded.
Member Terry Clemens added that an officer might also be injured in the line of duty and an exception would be appropriate in that circumstance as well.
Bourbon Police Chief William Martin said that he liked the idea of the council being able to make exceptions to the 20-year rule.
The council unanimously approved a motion to pass the ordinance on first readings with amendments to be made for second reading next meeting.
