By Tyler Parker and Chadwick George
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
“It’s a new day in Woodford County!” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift proclaimed as he concluded his opening statement at the countywide town hall, “We Are Woodford,” in Versailles Thursday night.
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
“It’s a new day in Woodford County!” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift proclaimed as he concluded his opening statement at the countywide town hall, “We Are Woodford,” in Versailles Thursday night.
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| Mayor Grayson Vandegrift gives opening remarks at the town hall. (Image from KCTCS video on Facebook) |
The executives of the three governments in the county began the town hall by talking about their goals and ideas. Vandegrift noted that he, Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott and newly elected County Judge-Executive James Kay are all under 40 (respectively, 36, 39 and 36), and “I’m not sure that’s ever happened before.”
Vandegrift, Traugott and Kay all said the meeting and the turnout of more than 100 people showed there is a spirit of cooperation. “What a wonderful sight,” Kay said to open their presentations. Vandegrift said there is “a renaissance in the county.”
Traugott said, “You can feel it in the air between Versailles, Midway and Woodford County and the Fiscal Court. It's inspiring, and it’s a fun environment in which to govern, so I'm looking forward to the next four years.”
The only hint of competition came from Vandegrift mentioning the attendance of all six Midway City Council members, while the Versailles council and county Fiscal Court had one and two absentees, respectively. “I don’t want to brag, but Midway wins again!” he pronounced, and laughter erupted from the audience.
Vandegrift had tried to arrange a joint meeting of the three government boards when the late John Coyle was judge-executive, but said the Fiscal Court resisted the idea. He said Thursday night that the town hall “really is, I think, a great start in the next step forward about how we work together as communities and as an entire county.”
Midway and the county are partners on the Midway Station industrial park. Vandegrift said they and the county Economic Development Authority have been “very fortunate . . . to really turn around Midway Station and take it from what was once called a boondoggle into a boon to our economy.” And to the city; the mayor noted that occupational-tax collections have more than doubled since 2014, and “It’s changed everything for us.”
Vandegrift, Traugott and Kay all said the meeting and the turnout of more than 100 people showed there is a spirit of cooperation. “What a wonderful sight,” Kay said to open their presentations. Vandegrift said there is “a renaissance in the county.”
Traugott said, “You can feel it in the air between Versailles, Midway and Woodford County and the Fiscal Court. It's inspiring, and it’s a fun environment in which to govern, so I'm looking forward to the next four years.”
The only hint of competition came from Vandegrift mentioning the attendance of all six Midway City Council members, while the Versailles council and county Fiscal Court had one and two absentees, respectively. “I don’t want to brag, but Midway wins again!” he pronounced, and laughter erupted from the audience.
Vandegrift had tried to arrange a joint meeting of the three government boards when the late John Coyle was judge-executive, but said the Fiscal Court resisted the idea. He said Thursday night that the town hall “really is, I think, a great start in the next step forward about how we work together as communities and as an entire county.”
Midway and the county are partners on the Midway Station industrial park. Vandegrift said they and the county Economic Development Authority have been “very fortunate . . . to really turn around Midway Station and take it from what was once called a boondoggle into a boon to our economy.” And to the city; the mayor noted that occupational-tax collections have more than doubled since 2014, and “It’s changed everything for us.”
Farmland preservation a key topic
As the question-and-answer portion of the meeting began, it was clear that the main topic on audience members’ minds was maintaining the county’s agricultural industry.
Hampton “Hoppy” Henton, long a leader in that effort, was the first to speak. He said the county should, like Fayette County have a purchase-of-development-rights (PDR) program, in which people are paid for placing a permanent prohibition on development of their property.
Next was Deb PeknyHeckney, who said she hoped that the officials’ vision for the county "is to let it always be the unique place that it is. . . . We left Florida because development came in . . . and destroyed an incredibly beautiful part of the world."
Margaret Reece Newsome of Versailles said she has worked for some of the best people in the horse industry, and said, “People come here for horses – not for shopping.”
The most passionate comment of the evening came from Jess Bowling, who said he has lived in the county since 1966, and “I am gettin’ tired of seeing it covered with concrete. . . . Stop it or there won’t be no farming!”
Stuart Weatherford of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which hosted the meeting at its headquarters, said the county’s horse and bourbon industries are “burgeoning,” but so is “the retirement industry,” and asked if there is a program to attract retirees who want to live on 10 acres or more with their horses.
“They're pure gold,” Weatherford said of such retirees. “They don't have kids, they pay all their taxes, they don't tax the system.” He said they can’t afford to retire in the Northeast and Northwest and “are looking for places to go.”
Vandegrift said there is no such program, “but it's a great point you make.” He said taxes in the county “tend to be high,” and Midway’s property taxes were cut recently “partly to help keep and attract people on fixed incomes.”
Dan Rosenberg said he has been a resident of the county since 1978, and asked about the process of appointments for its committees and boards. Kay said he wants to update and modernize the process by putting it on www.woodfordcounty.ky.gov.
Kay welcomed anyone with questions to visit him at his office on the second floor of the courthouse. “My door is always open!” he announced. He also encouraged everyone who wants an appointment to have an email and to be responsive.
Kay noted that he had created a drug task force to fight the opioid crisis, and will start live videostreaming of Fiscal Court meetings.
Longtime community activist Lillie Cox of Versailles told the executives and the crowd, “I probably know every person in this room. . . . We want to see people working together more. We want to see councils, tourism, the courts, all working together.”
State Rep. Joe Graviss, D-Versailles, who acted as master of ceremonies, said the next town hall meeting will be a “county-fair set-up” where “any entity in the county” can have a display.
As the question-and-answer portion of the meeting began, it was clear that the main topic on audience members’ minds was maintaining the county’s agricultural industry.
Hampton “Hoppy” Henton, long a leader in that effort, was the first to speak. He said the county should, like Fayette County have a purchase-of-development-rights (PDR) program, in which people are paid for placing a permanent prohibition on development of their property.
Next was Deb Pekny
Margaret Reece Newsome of Versailles said she has worked for some of the best people in the horse industry, and said, “People come here for horses – not for shopping.”
The most passionate comment of the evening came from Jess Bowling, who said he has lived in the county since 1966, and “I am gettin’ tired of seeing it covered with concrete. . . . Stop it or there won’t be no farming!”
Stuart Weatherford of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, which hosted the meeting at its headquarters, said the county’s horse and bourbon industries are “burgeoning,” but so is “the retirement industry,” and asked if there is a program to attract retirees who want to live on 10 acres or more with their horses.
“They're pure gold,” Weatherford said of such retirees. “They don't have kids, they pay all their taxes, they don't tax the system.” He said they can’t afford to retire in the Northeast and Northwest and “are looking for places to go.”
Vandegrift said there is no such program, “but it's a great point you make.” He said taxes in the county “tend to be high,” and Midway’s property taxes were cut recently “partly to help keep and attract people on fixed incomes.”
Dan Rosenberg said he has been a resident of the county since 1978, and asked about the process of appointments for its committees and boards. Kay said he wants to update and modernize the process by putting it on www.woodfordcounty.ky.gov.
Kay welcomed anyone with questions to visit him at his office on the second floor of the courthouse. “My door is always open!” he announced. He also encouraged everyone who wants an appointment to have an email and to be responsive.
Kay noted that he had created a drug task force to fight the opioid crisis, and will start live videostreaming of Fiscal Court meetings.
Longtime community activist Lillie Cox of Versailles told the executives and the crowd, “I probably know every person in this room. . . . We want to see people working together more. We want to see councils, tourism, the courts, all working together.”
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