During a recent Evarts City Council meeting, Mayor Burl Fee expressed frustration over not getting enough help from several elected officials regarding blacktop funding for the city of Evarts.

Valeria Cummings, director of communications for Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, said in response to the recent Evarts City Council meeting, Mongiardo shares the frustration of Fee and understands his concern.

“In this economy, the budgets are tight and state government is doing all they can for cities like Evarts,” Cummings said as a representative for Mongiardo. “We will continue to monitor the situation in the city of Evarts.”

Danielle Smoot, district communications coordinator for Congressman Hal Rogers, said Congressman Rogers did speak directly with Michael W. Hancock, acting secretary for the transportation cabinet, and stressed how bad the roads were in the city of Evarts.

“Congressman Rogers did recommend blacktop funding for the city of Evarts to the transportation cabinet,” said Smoot.

In the city council meeting, Fee stated he could not get his phone calls returned from the two Kentucky representatives for the city of Evarts area.

Fitz Steele, a Kentucky representative whose district includes sections of Harlan County, was contacted and he said Harlan County had so many little projects that he assumed the City of Evarts would get help for resurfacing.

“I’ll look into this,” said Steele. “I’ve not talked to Mayor Fee in a while. I continue to say if the mayor needs me, he can call me and I will return his phone calls.”

Rick Nelson, a Kentucky representative whose district includes sections of Harlan County, said everytime Fee had called him he had called him back in a reasonable period of time.

“I know it’s frustrating for all elected officials when they are trying to do their budgets,” Nelson said. “The city receives approximately $1,500 per month from the state for roads. According to the Department of Local Government, since January 2005, the City of Evarts has received approximately $83,000 for local roads which includes blacktop. Also, since 2002, the City of Evarts has received at least $245,000 in coal severance money and $65,000 of that could have been used for anything they wanted to use it for. The last time Mayor Fee called me was in October regarding a city project. Anytime the mayor or any other citizen calls me, I pride myself in getting back to them as soon as possible. I invite the mayor to call me if he has any issues and I will call him back.”

Nelson said according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in February 2006 and July 2007, the City of Evarts received $14,653 for paving local city streets in a formula bond (CC04) funds. He said the transportation cabinet also reported in July 2007 and September 2007, the City of Evarts received $14,106.59 for paving city streets in a discretionary bond (CC05) funds.

In the recent city council meeting Fee said he had asked fiscal court for help year after year.

Chad Brock, Harlan County magistrate whose district includes the City of Evarts, said in the past fiscal court had spent money in the City of Evarts.

“This year there just wasn’t any money to spend,” said Brock. “I was only able to get eight roads done this year and that’s it.”

Harlan County Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop said every city is a separate entity and they receive monies from the state for roads and their community.

“As we can, we help, but this year we haven’t received much money for blacktop,” said Grieshop. “We have 1,500 roads to take care of in the county, so we’re doing what we can to maintain our roads.”

Fee could not be reached Friday for further comment.