Ashland board addresses payroll tax notices, audit schedule, line of credit and appointments

At its Jan. 8 meeting the Ashland Board of Commissioners addressed a series of administrative and fiscal items including the implementation of an adopted payroll (occupational) tax, the status of the city’s line of credit and the upcoming audit presentation.

Staff reported that notice of the payroll tax increase, adopted earlier and effective Jan. 1, 2026, was sent to businesses with current city business licenses; staff said roughly 2,200 notices were mailed and that new filing forms were being prepared for the city website to help employers comply. When asked whether homeowners were notified of a property-tax decrease reflected on the property tax bill, staff said that change was reflected on the bill and that the city had also used social media but could provide additional clarification in the auditing/budget sessions.

City staff said the city has not used the line of credit since early September and that it had been used only once this past year. Staff also said they plan to present the independent auditor’s report at the next meeting and to provide a financial overview at the board’s work session.

The board approved a resolution authorizing the corporation counsel to seek and recover unclaimed property from the secretary of state and adopted a municipal order authorizing the mayor and Stephen Nally (named in the packet) to execute an auto-extrication and rescue mutual aid agreement between the Ashland Fire Department and Boyd County EMS. The mayor’s appointment of Tracy Rothenstein to the Ashland-Boyd County Airport Board (term 01/08/2026–01/08/2030) was approved by voice vote.

A budget amendment (first reading) was introduced and moved; the transcript records an abstention on one vote related to the fiscal items during roll-call discussion. Staff said they will present more detailed financial highlights at the scheduled work session and at the next board meeting when the auditor attends.