Spencer County approves stipend for tourism director to provide economic development support

The Spencer County Fiscal Court voted Jan. 20 to pay Tourism Director Katherine Scott a $12,875 annual stipend to provide limited economic development support for the county.

The Taylorsville-Spencer County Recreation, Tourism and Convention Commission proposed formalizing Ms. Scott's assistance on business recruitment, grant development and site-readiness tasks. The commission recommended a written agreement, quarterly reviews and a cap of 5—0 hours per week (with a negotiated option up to 10 hours). The court accepted Option C on the commission's matrix (an annual stipend of $12,875, capping time at 10 hours per week) on a motion by Magistrate Cotton seconded by Judge Executive Scott Travis; the motion passed by voice vote.

The proposal as presented kept Ms. Scott employed by the Tourism Commission while specifying deliverables and governance steps: a written scope of duties, quarterly joint reviews to validate hours and deliverables, and a formal title and reporting lines if the arrangement is to continue or expand. Compensation calculations provided in the packet placed the stipend in a pro-rated range for a 12.5—25% FTE equivalent.

Why it matters: The county's approach assigns part-time economic development duties to an existing local employee rather than hiring a separate full-time director. The arrangement may help with grant work and business outreach while limiting county staffing costs, but it also caps the hours and formalizes expectations to avoid mission creep.

The court recorded the motion and vote; no additional benefits or full-time hiring were authorized during the meeting.