Hearing on Hospital Case Canceled, Rescheduled in Adair County

A hearing scheduled for Friday in Rockcastle County in the civil lawsuit between a Danville bank and the local hospital district has been canceled. The hearing is rescheduled for Aug. 1 in Adair County.

The lawsuit, filed last year by the Farmers National Bank of Danville, begins the debate to decide who has the authority to establish a property tax for a taxing district that set its tax rate at zero since 1998.

Circuit Judge Judy Vance, a resident and landowner in Adair County, removed herself from the case following an informal opinion that remaining on the case would be a conflict of interest.

Judge David A Tapp, circuit judge for Pulaski, Rockcastle and Lincoln counties, is presiding over the case. He originally set the hearing in Lincoln County then later rescheduled for Rockcastle County when the hospital's attorney could not make the original date. Judge Tapp told the Community Voice he always tries to schedule cases in the county where they originate but had not been able to find a date to hear the case in Adair County. The Community Voice expressed concern that a case that will impact every taxpayer in the county would be heard out of town. Judge Tapp said he had no reason to believe that future hearings on the case would need to be moved elsewhere.

A representative from Judge Tapp's office called the Community Voice Thursday and said the Rockcastle County hearing is canceled. He also said the hearing is being rescheduled in Adair County on Thursday, Aug. 1.

Be watching the Community Voice for further updates.