Ohio County Fiscal Court advances hospital bond first reading, approves routine reports and a road department hire

The Ohio County Fiscal Court handled routine administrative business and advanced a financing step tied to hospital improvements.

The court approved the minutes of the Dec. 16 meeting, then voted to approve bills, claims and transfers. The treasurer's December financial statement and the clerk's December and fourth‑quarter reports were acknowledged and accepted after motions and votes.

A personnel item for the road department passed on roll call: the court approved hiring a road operator at a rate of $20.27 per hour with required endorsements for a class B tanker and multi‑equipment operation.

County counsel explained that the county and the Ohio County Public Facilities Corporation needed to meet in parallel for a refinancing tied to hospital expansion. The court advanced ordinance 2026‑1 on a first reading to authorize use of county bonding authority and to allow the Public Facilities Corporation to hold the realty interest; the counsel said the amount involved was approximately $10,000,000.

Members conducted a roll call vote on the PFC resolution related to the ordinance and the court returned to its regular session; separate minutes will be kept for the Public Facilities Corporation action. The court also moved a first reading of an administrative‑code amendment (ordinance 2026‑2) to authorize certain time‑off rewards for employee accomplishments.

Magistrates scheduled committee work on salaries that must be decided before the primary election and appointed a committee to lead a courthouse July 4 celebration and to plant a liberty tree. The court set a follow‑up meeting schedule and closed routine business.