The Barren River Area Development District did not submit a bid to serve as fiscal agent for the new South Central Kentucky Workforce Development Board.

BRADD Executive Director Rodney Kirtley told the entire BRADD board Wednesday that BRADD is choosing not to submit a fiscal agent bid because the new federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act “structure” weakens possible BRADD performance.

“We will discuss the director and services when it comes out to bid,” Kirtley said. The executive director said he was concerned that a separation of responsibilities will not allow for sufficient control.

Bids were due to the Local Elected Officials group by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Barren County Judge-Executive Micheal Hale said after the meeting he couldn’t disclose the bidders because the deadline had not yet passed. The LEOs voted to advertise for a fiscal agent in light of existing performance issues in the workforce area where a combining of the fiscal agent and service delivery has been under the same roof at BRADD for several years.

BRADD has been criticized by the new workforce board for not being able to present an annual budget that accurately shows services delivered. BRADD is currently acting as fiscal agent for the new workforce board until the new fiscal agent is named in a super-majority vote by the 10 judge-executives. Also in the mix is the new workforce board has taken steps to seek a director and also hire a consultant to develop a workforce services plan for the future.

The last BRADD-produced workforce services budget showed only 22 percent of the services had been budgeted during nine months with three months to go in the fiscal year ending June 30. The workforce board tabled the budget.

Hale, who sits on the Kentucky Workforce Investment Board, told the BRADD board that BRADD is ranked fourth among the workforce development districts in Kentucky as to unemployment rate – first is the Lexington district, second the Cincinnati-area district and third is the Louisville-area district. Additionally, he said, Warren County has the lowest unemployment rate in the BRADD district, followed by Simpson and Allen counties.

“The BRADD does an outstanding job,” Hale said.

During the executive council meeting prior to the main BRADD meeting, Kirtley was critical of a Daily News editorial published Wednesday that said BRADD was an “embarrassment” to the region. Kirtley said he would be issuing statements to refute facts that have appeared in the paper’s news reports and opinion pieces.

“The paper has been so misleading – it is horrible what is going on,” Kirtley told the executive council.

Kirtley also criticized the paper for suggesting BRADD drop its challenge of nearly $83,000 in state and federal funds that the state has said is a disallowed expense. BRADD paid bonuses to employees from 2009-14. Kirtley told the executive council and the full BRADD board that the agency will win the legal challenge.

— Follow business reporter Charles A. Mason @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.