The City of Hopkinsville will move forward with offering unvaccinated city residents an incentive to receive a COVID inoculation, after action by Hopkinsville City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting.
As part of the COVID Vaccine Incentive Program, the City would authorize $110,000 of American Rescue Plan Funds to cover a $100 payment to each of the first 1,000 newly fully vaccinated people with a Hopkinsville address which would also make them eligible to win one of ten $1,000 raffles.
Prior to any action, five community members voiced their opposition to the incentive during public comments. Jana Crabtree pleaded with council members to take more time and explore other options because she feels it is “coercive”.
After more discussion, a motion by Councilman Steve Keel to refer the municipal order to the Committee of the Whole for further review failed after a 6-6 tie with Mayor Lynch casting the deciding no vote, meaning action would be required at the Council meeting.
Councilman Chuck Crabtree said the people need more consistency because they keep hearing different messages.
Patricia Waddell-Bell said she had some concerns at first about offering a $100 incentive but with the information presented at the meeting she is now comfortable with it because she feels it’s working.
Councilman Tom Johnson says he will always vote no for a COVID vaccine incentive and thinks it is setting a “terrible precedence” and compared it to a participation trophy.
After over an hour of discussion, when it came time to vote on the COVID vaccine incentive program it was another 6-6 vote with Mayor Lynch casting the yes vote to break the tie and Keel, Johnson, Jason Bell, Travis Martin, and Terry Parker voting no.
In other action, council members unanimously approved the 2021 Property Tax rate on second reading with the rate for real property at 23.9 cents per $100 per assessed value and the personal property tax at 23.9 cents per $100 assessed value, which is a .1 cent decrease from last year’s rate.
And council approved the Hopkinsville Solid Waste rate increase to a flat rate of $25 for residential and apartments, with about 600 to 700 economy customers to see a gradual increase to that flat rate over a three-year period.
