MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Kentucky – Following a controversial discussion about the future of the Paducah Sports Park grandstand at Monday’s McCracken County Fiscal Court meeting, County Commissioner Bill Bartleman and Judge Craig Clymer reiterated their stance on the renovation on Facebook.
The tax court decided on Monday, Put the decision on the renovation or demolition of the grandstand on the table and review alternative designs through September. In the meantime, he will seek private donors to help fund the $8 million to $9 million renovation costs, Clymer said.
Bartleman voiced his opposition to the renovation during the meeting, saying the money could be better spent elsewhere in the county. He also said people will remember Paducah Sports Park not for the stands, but for the tournament management and field quality.
“We could build something super nice that would have offices, food courts, restrooms, seating and other more appropriate amenities and cost a lot less,” County Commissioner Bill Bartleman said of the grandstand.
On Wednesday, Bartleman published a Facebook post underscoring his opposition to the grandstand renovation and quoting an email he received from a local resident supporting his position.
Bartleman wrote, “While renovation has some advantages, it is not worth $8 million… We could build something really nice that would have offices, food service, restrooms, seating and other more appropriate amenities and cost a lot less.”
Bartleman’s post received a lot of support from people who claimed to be knowledgeable about travel sports.
Clymer posted on Facebook several hours after Bartleman, writing: “A misleading discussion is being started calling for the grandstand in our future sports park to be demolished, primarily because the renovation would be too expensive for us.”
He further stated that Bartleman’s article had “intentionally” omitted “critical” facts.
“The renovation of the grandstand will cost us nothing, while the demolition will cost us over $2 million,” Clymer wrote.
“The renovation of the grandstand will cost us nothing, while the demolition will cost us over $2 million,” Clymer wrote in a post on Facebook.
He said the grandstand could only be renovated if the money was donated privately, while demolishing the grandstand and alternative plans would cost taxpayers $2.2 million.
In response to Clymer’s post, Bartleman wrote, “It’s not a misleading discussion. It’s a waste of money no matter how it’s funded. There’s no need, you don’t understand the travel ball community.”
“It’s a waste of money no matter how it’s paid for. There’s no need, you don’t understand the travel ball community,” Bartleman wrote on Facebook.
In a statement following the interactions on Facebook, Bartleman said: “The judge and I respectfully disagree.”
Clymer also issued a statement on the Facebook posts, stressing that the renovation will not cost taxpayers anything.
“People are being led to believe that their tax money is being used to renovate the grandstand. That’s not true. It will either be done with private donations or not at all,” Clymer said.
“The renovation will either be funded by private donations or not done at all,” said Craig Clymer, McCracken County Judge-Executive, of the grandstand renovation.
County Commissioner Eddie Jones said Clymer and Bartleman “both expressed their views” on a “great issue.”
Jones said Clymer “earned” the time to find a private donor.
“We got the land, and who was the main player that made that possible? Well, it was Craig Clymer… He has a vision for the restoration of the grandstand,” Jones said.
He said that making public his opinion on social media was one way to get feedback from the community.
“To some extent, this is a way to get polls. I mean, the truth is, I look at these posts and look for interesting statements,” Jones said. “They appeal to me as a person who has to vote every two weeks on how we spend our public money.”
