Beshear returns his mom’s friend to Kentucky Horse Park panel as park loses big bucks
Gov. Andy Beshear has reappointed Alston Kerr, a friend of his mother’s, to the Kentucky Horse Park Commission and designated Kerr to be chairwoman of the panel that governs the 1,200-acre tourist attraction in Fayette County.
Kerr, of Lexington, was removed as chair of the commission in March 2016 by then-Gov. Matt Bevin in the midst of a major shake-up and audit of the park instigated by Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown.
Beshear’s spokeswoman, Crystal Staley, said Monday in an email that “Kerr’s leadership and experience are especially needed right now, since according to the Kentucky Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the operating loss for the Kentucky Horse Park hit over $10 million in fiscal year 2018 and over $8 million in fiscal year 2019.”
The commission is to meet at 3 p.m. Thursday at the horse park. A financial report is on the agenda.
Kerr initially was appointed to the panel in 2008 by former Gov. Steve Beshear, the current governor’s father. She contributed at least $4,500 to the elder Beshear’s 2007 and 2011 campaigns, $2,000 to Andy Beshear’s 2015 campaign for attorney general and $4,000 to Andy Beshear’s 2019 campaign for governor.
Andy Beshear, who took office last month, appointed Kerr to the commission last Friday to fill the unexpired term through May 24, 2022, of Nancy Cox, who resigned.
Cox, the dean of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, said Monday in an email that she “resigned to provide the new administration with discretion to seek new members.” She did not answer the question of whether anyone asked her to resign.
“My resignation letter refers to my full support for the park with respect to numerous personal and professional affiliations,” said Cox, adding that the College of Agriculture “values our many collaborations” with the park. Cox was appointed to the commission Sept. 5, 2018, by Bevin to serve until May 22, 2022.
Kerr replaces Lisa Ball of Lexington as chair of the horse park commission. Ball remains on the commission.
Kerr, an avid equestrian, declined to comment Monday about the appointment. She, along with Jane Beshear, is a member of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the park.
Thayer, whose district includes part of the park, said he will be closely monitoring developments at the park.
“I’m going to be watching very carefully what happens at the Kentucky Horse Park based on the malfeasance that the audit uncovered under the leadership of the previous Beshear administration,” Thayer said. “It’s very important to the economy of Central Kentucky and the economy of Georgetown as one of our signature tourism locations and I just want to make sure that people don’t start using it as their personal, political playground again in this administration.”
In a February 2017 audit, state Auditor Mike Harmon found that the Kentucky Horse Park suffered from poor management, questionable financial practices and conflicts of interest. That lack of good management had blocked the Horse Park from becoming financially self-sufficient, requiring $24.8 million in state subsidies in the past decade, Harmon said at the time.
The audit was requested by Thayer and members of Bevin’s administration after a series of political scuffles, including Bevin’s dissolution of the Horse Park Commission. One of its members was Jane Beshear, the mother of Andy Beshear, who has been involved at the Horse Park for decades.
Bevin appointed a new commission.
