Woodford County committee recommends FY 2026–27 budget with historic property tax cut and new public-safety, housing investments

Judge Squire Taylor presented the Woodford County Fiscal Court committee with a proposed FY 2026–27 budget that the committee unanimously recommended for first reading.

“This budget is about two things. It's about our people,” Taylor said, framing the plan around both county employees and residents and announcing what he called the largest property tax-rate cut in Woodford County history: a proposed drop from 5.9% to 3.9% for the coming fiscal year.

The budget packages a mix of operating and one-time capital investments while maintaining a large reserve, Taylor said. Key items highlighted by Taylor include a planned ambulance purchase; increased spending for law enforcement and corrections; emergency-management flexibility and logistics planning; investments in GIS for the coroner, property valuation administrator and county attorney; opioid-response funding and substance-use support specialists; and continued, cash-funded broadband expansion. Taylor also flagged several major infrastructure projects that will continue into the next fiscal year, including the Millville sewer effort and a $1.3 million water project in the Germany Shore area.

Taylor said the budget prioritizes housing stability and affordability. Line item 143 allocates $350,000 to acquire property to support the “Home for Every Neighbor” initiative, intended to help teachers, first responders and other workers priced out of the local housing market. The proposal also includes a year-round “Keep Your Home” assistance program to prevent evictions and utility shutoffs and a pilot legal-defense fund to provide local attorneys for tenants or homeowners facing eviction or foreclosure.

Staff and committee members reported several grant wins that reduce the county’s capital burden: a $10,000 Kentucky River Authority grant to support a kayak launch and a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife grant to engineer and reconstruct the Clifton boat ramp; officials said no county funds will be required for that ramp replacement. Taylor and staff said Woodford County secured more than $30 million in grant funds for one-time projects this cycle and praised Director Drew Chandler, treasurer staff and county administrative employees for grant administration and compliance work.

Not every request was included. Taylor said mobile barriers recommended by emergency management and first responders were not added to the current budget and several pieces of equipment — a power-trailer dolly, forklift for the logistics facility, a mini excavator and a tracked small-excavator/dingo — were excluded but could be funded later from reserves if surplus allows.

Taylor emphasized the county’s overall fiscal strength, citing low debt levels, seven consecutive clean audits and a strong credit rating that provide capacity to both invest in services and pursue property-tax relief for residents. He reiterated personnel decisions: the budget would hold a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for employees for 2026 after multi-year increases dating to 2022.

The committee moved the budget forward by voice vote after a motion from Squire Brown and a second from Squire Carl; Taylor said the motion carried unanimously. The committee additionally approved related items for the fiscal court agenda, including a supplemental agreement for the Big Sink sidewalk project and a five-year memorandum of agreement with KCTCS for EMS student training. The treasurer reported the bill list on tonight’s docket totaled $14,294,834.54.

The committee recommended the budget to the full fiscal court for first reading; the full court will take up the measure and other items at its next meeting.