We have stated before that we believe that the Barren River Area Development District plays an important role in our city and the counties it serves.

The organization has had its share of problems in the past few years, most recently its attempt to avoid repaying the Kentucky Department of Aging and Independent Living $82,976,14 that DAIL claims was incorrectly used to pay BRADD salary bonuses from 2009 to 2014.

BRADD hired local attorney David Broderick to challenge DAIL in regard to this matter.

We wrote in a previous editorial that we believe BRADD would be better off in the long run by just paying what the agency owed DAIL, and it was announced Tuesday that BRADD will, in fact, repay the money.

While we were critical of the BRADD for continuing to fight against paying DAIL, we must give credit where credit is due and that is giving the BRADD board credit for its decision to pay DAIL what it is owed.

Allegations were made by BRADD Executive Director Rodney Kirtley that the BRADD board was under pressure by DAIL Commissioner Deborah Anderson and Gov. Matt Bevin to pay these funds. Kirtley said Anderson said the services to the BRADD would be pulled if the money wasn’t paid back to the state. Anderson disputed Kirtley’s claim, saying that it was clearly stated that was not their intent.

Regardless of whose version is correct, it was in everyone’s interest for this matter to be resolved.

Metcalfe County Judge-Executive Greg Wilson, the BRADD chairman, helped this deal with DAIL come together and should be applauded for doing so. Wilson said when Bevin decided to take the DAIL responsibility from the Lexington-based Bluegrass Development District in light of a problem of how federal funds were used there, “the status-quo changed” for the BRADD and its DAIL money fight.

At the end of the day, the BRADD board took the appropriate step by agreeing to pay back DAIL these funds. The ongoing fight over these funds would’ve continued to put a dark cloud over the organization. It would have also been costly with no guarantee BRADD would prevail.

On Wednesday, Kirtley announced his retirement in a letter to the BRADD board members. He announced his reason for his retirement as disagreement with the BRADD board for agreeing to pay DAIL the contested fees. 

Now that Kirtley is leaving the position, our hope is that under new leadership BRADD can deliver services to the counties it serves without the turmoil seen over the past few years.

We commend them on agreeing to pay back these funds and wish them the best under new leadership in the future.