Lawrenceburg Won't Have To Pay Franklin Co. In Revenue Sharing Case

Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 3:21 PM

A Decatur County judge issued an order Tuesday that reversed a previous ruling that would have awarded Franklin County $3.092 million in damages.

(Decatur County, Ind.) - It turns out the City of Lawrenceburg will not have to pay Franklin County hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

Last August, Lawrenceburg was found to be in breach of contract pertaining to a riverboat revenue sharing agreement with Franklin County.

The revenue sharing agreement made with then-mayor Bill Cunningham's administration would pay Franklin County $500,000 each year. However, the agreement did not have an expiration date.

In 2013, Lawrenceburg stopped paying Franklin County and was consequently sued for monetary damages.

On Tuesday, a Decatur County Superior Court judge issued an order reversing a previous ruling that would have awarded Franklin County a total of $3.092 million in damages - that would have covered five years of missed payments.

"We are pleased that the Court of Appeals agreed with our position and that we will not be forced to send funds not approved on a case by case basis by our elected officials," said Lawrenceburg city attorney Del Weldon. "The City is committed to working to maximize the use of our gaming funds for the benefit of our City, our region and our State."

The Supreme Court denied transfer of the case, meaning the case is final.