Kentucky county makes $400K deal with coal company tied to West Virginia governor

Associated Press

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky county has worked out a deal to settle delinquent property taxes owed by a company once controlled by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Floyd County is to receive $400,000 under the deal. County Attorney Keith Bartley said county officials didn’t enter a previous agreement because they were unwilling to waive 100% of the penalties and interest owed by Kentucky Fuel.

Jim Justice, owner of the Greenbrier resort, spa and casino in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Greenbrier has been everything to the rural area since the resorts mineral springs began drawing the well-heeled and socially connected before the Civil War. March 4, 2011. Washington Post photo by Linda Davidson.

The delinquent taxes totaled $671,000 from six years. Bartley said the original face amount was about $313,000.

In the earlier deal, Justice family companies wiped out millions in delinquent property taxes due to the state and four other eastern Kentucky counties — Knott, Pike, Harlan and Magoffin.

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