TAYLOR, Chief Judge:
Donald Catchen brings this appeal from a May 13, 2010, order of the Kenton Circuit Court dismissing with prejudice his complaint and amended complaint against the City of Park Hills (Park Hills) and 1530 Dixie LLC (Dixie). We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand.
Donald Catchen is a resident, taxpayer, property owner, and member of the city
Park Hills became a prospective purchaser of Dixie's property located at 1530 Dixie Highway. On December 12, 2006, the city council of Park Hills passed Ordinance No. 13, 2006 (Ordinance No. 13) authorizing the purchase of said real property for the total sum of $300,000. To finance the purchase, Ordinance No. 13 also authorized the city to tender a promissory note to Dixie in the amount of $300,000 and to grant a mortgage lien upon the real property to secure the repayment of the note indebtedness.
On August 11, 2008, some two years after purchase of the real property located at 1530 Dixie Highway, Park Hills' city council adopted Ordinance No. 16, 2008 (Ordinance No. 16). The stated purpose of Ordinance No. 16 was:
In a November 2008 election, the proposed tax set forth in Ordinance No. 16 was approved by ballot initiative. Apparently, a portion of the funds derived from the tax generated by Ordinance No. 16 were to be combined with funds from Park Hills' general fund to pay the outstanding note indebtedness related to the purchase of 1530 Dixie Highway from Dixie in 2006.
Subsequently, Catchen filed this action in 2009 in the Kenton Circuit Court against Park Hills and Dixie seeking to enjoin Park Hills from paying the promissory note and a declaration that the real estate transaction between Park Hills and Dixie was void. In the complaint, Catchen particularly maintained that Park Hills was attempting to refinance the promissory note and sought to enjoin such refinancing. Catchen also asserted that Park Hills' original purchase of the real property at 1530 Dixie Highway violated statutory law, constitutional law, and "ethical law." Park Hills filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings and a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim. Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (CR) 12.02; CR 12.03. Therein, Park Hills argued that Catchen lacked standing to file the complaint. The circuit court ultimately agreed with Park Hills and dismissed Catchen's complaint for lack of standing. This appeal follows.
Catchen asserts that the circuit court erred by concluding that he lacked standing and by dismissing his complaint. Catchen argues that he possesses standing to challenge the purchase of the property at 1530 Dixie Highway and the actions of Park Hills relative to the purchase and funding of that property. Specifically, Catchen advances a myriad of arguments alleging that the purchase of 1530 Dixie Highway made pursuant to Ordinance 13 and the levy of the tax to partly fund the payment of the note indebtedness per Ordinance 16 were void. Catchen's argument relies in part upon sundry sections of the Kentucky Constitution and his remaining argument relies upon numerous statutes and ethical codes. However, resolution of this appeal centers solely upon whether Catchen possesses the requisite standing to challenge the purchase of property and the imposition of the tax.
In this Commonwealth, a taxpayer may generally have standing to challenge the constitutionality of a tax imposed by a local government. Hardwick v. Boyd Co. Fiscal Court, 219 S.W.3d 198 (Ky.App. 2007); Rosenbalm v. Commercial Bank of Middlesboro, 838 S.W.2d 423 (Ky.App. 1992). By contrast, to enjoin or challenge an official act of a city, a party must have suffered some injury distinct from that of the general public to have standing. Carrico v. City of Owensboro, 511 S.W.2d 677 (Ky.1974). The distinction between standing to challenge a tax and standing to challenge an official act is pivotal in this case in our opinion. For the reasons hereinafter set forth, we conclude that Catchen does not have standing to challenge the official acts of Park Hills regarding expenditures for the property but does have standing to challenge the imposition of the tax imposed by Ordinance 16.
The record reveals that Catchen has not alleged an injury distinct from the general public that would confer standing upon him to challenge or enjoin any official act of Park Hills. Additionally, Catchen's reliance upon KRS 92.340
Nevertheless, Catchen does have standing to challenge the tax imposed by Park Hills in Ordinance 16. In his complaint, as amended, Catchen raised various arguments regarding the tax as authorized by Ordinance 16. As noted, there is authority in Kentucky that allows taxpayers to enjoy standing to bring suit to challenge the imposition of a tax by a governmental entity. Hardwick, 219 S.W.3d 198; Rosenbalm, 838 S.W.2d 423. As Catchen is a taxpayer of Park Hills, we conclude that Catchen has standing to bring an action to challenge the imposition of the tax imposed by Ordinance 16. However, we caution that in no way does this opinion endorse the claims or merits raised in the challenge regarding this tax, which must be resolved by the circuit court on remand.
For the foregoing reasons, the order and judgment of the Kenton Circuit Court is affirmed in part, reversed in part, and this case is remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
ALL CONCUR.