Local taxing districts present unchanged or slightly reduced rates to McCracken fiscal court

Representatives from McCracken County taxing districts told the fiscal court they plan to keep or modestly alter their tax rates for the coming year during the July 28 meeting. The reports are required by Kentucky law so taxing districts can notify the fiscal court of their rates; the court does not itself set those district rates.

Who spoke and what they said: Adara Basinger, director of the McCracken County Extension Office, said the district board will keep the same rate as last year, below the compensating rate. Nikki Clark, district board treasurer, stated the extension rate as 0.048 (0.048 percent). Kurt Langston, chief financial officer of 4 Rivers Behavioral Health, said the mental health taxing district will maintain a rate of 0.012, equal to the compensating rate calculated by the state. Hendren Fire District reported keeping a 0.0755 rate. Lone Oak Fire District chairman Irv Smith said his board voted to keep the rate at 0.06. The McCracken County Public Library director Justin Brasher said the library will set its real property rate at $0.055 per $100 of assessed value and personal property at $0.0758; he said the library has reduced its real property rate four years in a row. Caitlin Krolikowski, public health director for the Purchase District Health Department, said the county health taxing district will maintain a 0.03 rate and described plans for a proposed two‑story public health building behind the current county building at 916 Kentucky Avenue.

Why it matters: these reports inform the fiscal court and the public of tax rates that fund local services including libraries, fire protection, public health and extension services. Most districts indicated no change or small reductions, with library real property rate lowered for the fourth consecutive year.

Details and context: Brasher said the library produced a report showing community impact and usage metrics — including more than 320,000 physical items checked out and an estimated $12.4 million in services provided — and noted programs such as the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and distribution of Narcan and fentanyl test strips in partnership with the health department. Krolikowski said the health district is in a request for qualifications phase to build a new two‑story facility that would house direct clinical services on the ground floor and community/outreach services on the second floor.

No formal court action on rates: court members received the presentations and thanked district representatives; there were no motions to modify district rates on the record. The presentations satisfy the statutory requirement that taxing districts report their rates to the fiscal court.