The Butler Parks, Recreation, Grounds and Facilities Authority Monday hired a local lawyer to try to recover nearly $15,000 in state sales taxes the authority claims the Butler BlueSox failed to pay.

Authority board members unanimously voted to hire Joseph Charlton of Charlton Law of Buffalo Township as special counsel to handle all legal matter related to the BlueSox.

Last summer, the Department of Revenue informed the authority that a total of $14,679 in sales taxes from the concession stand at what was then called Kelly Automotive Park had not been paid during 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Authority officials said the license to operate the concession stand was in the authority's name, but the BlueSox operated the stand under a rental agreement. The department revoked the authority's license to operate the stand.

After last season ended, the BlueSox left the Prospect League, a collegiate league in which it played, and disbanded.

Over the winter, the authority signed a new sponsorship agreement with Krill Recycling to rename the stadium the Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park and signed two Tri-State Collegiate League franchises — the Pittsburgh Diamond Dawgs and Core Athletics — to play their 16 home games at the park this summer.

Special counsel was hired to handle the case against the BlueSox instead of the authority's solicitor, Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Graham Attorneys at Law, to avoid any possible conflict of interest, said Cheri Readie, who was re-elected chairman during the authority's reorganization Monday.

“The goal is to get it resolved as quickly as possible,” Readie said.

The authority agreed to pay Charlton $185 an hour, $100 an hour for paralegal work and 20 percent of the money recovered.

In November, the authority approved an agreement with the department to pay the unpaid taxes in six months. Board member Robert Graham said the taxes must be paid before the authority can apply for a new license to operate the concession stand in May.

Butler City Farmers Market

The board voted to accept the responsibility of running the Butler City Farmers Market.

“It's an opportunity for us to get some sponsors there and make some money,” said Dean Selfridge, authority operations manager.

He said he discussed taking over the market with city Councilman Jeff Smith, the authority's liaison. An ordinance places the market under the authority's responsibility, Selfridge said.

Butler Downtown had been running the market, he added.

The authority can make money by charging vendors a fee to use the market and by holding events such as concerts and flea markets, he said.

Concerts will be held at this summer on Friday nights beginning June 7. Other concerts are scheduled Aug. 3 and Aug. 9.