Oldham County approves 2026 budget orders, grants and routine business alongside plan vote

Oldham County Fiscal Court used the Dec. 18 session to handle several budget and operational items while conducting the comprehensive-plan hearing. Amid the plan debate the court took separate votes on budget orders, grants, contracts and appointments.

Oldham County Clerk Amy Alvey presented her office's proposed 2026 budget, reporting a projected gross income of $34,423,950 and packet-listed mandated distributions (packet text cited approximately $30,000,864.64). The court approved the clerk's budget and set the annual maximum that the clerk may expend for deputies and assistants at $1,802,570.

The sheriff's office presented proposed salaries for 2026 that the court set at $3,035,963.50 (including benefits). The court also approved the sheriff's revenue projection for next year after finance-committee review.

On contracts and grants, the court authorized Judge Vogel to sign a $5,000 Tech Ag Development grant to subsidize removal of deceased livestock and roadway deer, naming Polly Hilton as administrator; the contract structure involves county and producer cost-sharing measures (presenter described a $200 per carcass cost with the producer paying half). The court also approved a site license agreement with the prospective buyer of the Goshen Tower that will allow county dispatch equipment to remain in place for $1 per year for up to 25 years, contingent on the tower sale closing.

Under community business the court approved adding an $8,000 disbursement to the payables list for the Oldham County History Center for archival services. The chest-and-records expense prompted a brief clarification about whether the appropriation already appeared in the budget; the court approved the payment regardless.

Personnel and appointments were routine: the court approved hiring Brian Hamilton (five-year lateral officer, effective Dec. 29), recognized the retirement of a road-department employee (Andy Rankin), and reappointed Jean Jenkins and Sam Finney to the Oldham County Extension District Board (terms to 12/31/2028). Routine payables were passed earlier in the meeting.

Taken together, those votes and approvals will be integrated into the county's published 2026 budget and managed by the respective departments; the planning department separately will proceed with implementing actions tied to the adopted comprehensive plan.