By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
The Barren County Fiscal Court met on Aug. 18, addressing a wide range of county business, presentations, tourism, and the upcoming 2026-27 property tax rate.
Magistrate Marty Kinslow recommended keeping Barren County’s current property tax rate for the upcoming year while providing an overview of the recent budget committee, where members discussed the county’s tax rate.
While Kinslow didn’t disclose an actual number during Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting, the committee recommended a rate of 12.2 cents per $100 of assessed property value in the committee meeting.
“We had a brief discussion about the tax rate for the next budget year. We have to look at that in August and get it approved to get the tax bill out,” Kinslow said in the fiscal court meeting. “We came up with a recommendation of a rate. We didn’t make it an actual motion, but we recommended that this year we leave the rate where it is already.”
Kinslow, chairman of the budget committee, said, “We lowered it quite a bit last year, and after we looked at the numbers, and we get a range of numbers from the state where they give us a range of numbers, and to leave it where it was last year is in that range. And that’s what we’re going to recommend. Good news is we’re not going to raise taxes.”
The Kentucky Department for Local Government calculated the compensating rate at 12 cents per $100 of assessed value. The compensating rate will generally generate around the same amount of revenue from existing property as the prior year.
Because property tax bills are based on both the tax rate and the assessed value of a property, an increase in assessed value can result in a higher tax bill even if the tax rate remains the same or decreases.
No other discussion was had on the rate by the fiscal court.
The fiscal court also heard the argument in favor of the county having its own tourism commission, with a McCracken County Commissioner detailing how that county navigated a similar change and a breakdown of the current Glasgow-Barren County Tourist Convention Commission’s 2026-27 budget.
Road Funds
Blake Williams with the Kentucky Transportation Department presented details for the 2026-27 fiscal year Rural Secondary Program, which provides funding for county road improvements. The funds are generated by state motor fuels tax revenue.
The county has been allocated $1,425,733, with an additional $133,388 in carryover from the last fiscal year. The funds will be used for routine maintenance on 145.491 miles of rural secondary roads at $3,724 per mile, for a projected cost of $541,800.
Another single project calls for asphalt resurfacing on 6.61 miles of Ky. 87, or Austin Tracy Road, beginning at the intersection of Milburn Taylor Road and extending north to the intersection of Peter Creek Road. The project’s cost estimate is $800,461.
Williams also said the county will receive $213,860 in flex funds, which the fiscal court can use at its discretion for road improvements.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd pointed out that the county’s state road funding has decreased $300,000 in the Rural Secondary funds and decreased $80,000 in flex funds compared with last year.
“That’s not just us, it’s every county,” Byrd said, adding that she and other county judge-executives in the region met Monday to discuss the revenue loss.
Guest Presentations
David Peterson, CEO of Caveland Environmental Authority, and Eric Sexton, Director of the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD), shared comments on their respective agencies that Byrd said would help clarify information for the public.
Peterson said that in September 2024 a grant application for a water tank was submitted for Mid-South Industrial Park, the same property central to Cave City’s one-year moratorium on a data center and subsequent lawsuit.
While the project’s grant application was unsuccessful, Peterson said the application included information about a SCADA system, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system. He said Caveland Water has around 50 SCADA systems that use satellite and cellular data to monitor and control various aspects of its water systems.
Sexton presented an overview of the programs BRADD, a quasi-governmental agency, offers to the ten-county region it serves.
BRADD currently administers 21 projects, representing $57 million of investment, Sexton said.
“That’s a pretty staggering number and a great return on investment for the work that we do to help you,” he said.
BRADD’s community development specialists assist in planning, transportation, work with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, which assists with projects involving water and wastewater. The agency also helps local governments apply for and administer grants.
As one of 15 economic development districts that cover all Kentucky counties, BRADD is required to update a Community Economic Development Strategy, or CEDS, every five years, Sexton said.
The agency has digitized its planning process, creating goals and objectives through county-level strategic planning before moving on to the regional level for economic development. Sexton said the CEDS plan is nearing the end of a review cycle and it allows for public input.
Department Reports
Coroner Tim Gibson reported 10 death investigations in July, with seven natural deaths, one accident, and two cases still pending autopsy reports. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 18, Gibson said there have been four death investigations, with one natural death, one accidental death, one suicide, and one case still pending an autopsy report.
County Clerk Helena Birdwell announced that the delinquent tax bill sale will take place Sept. 23 at 8:30 a.m. in the Barren County Clerk’s Office. To date, Birdwell said the department has collected over $311,000 in delinquent taxes, with around $451,000 outstanding.
The county clerk also reported that the online portal to request an absentee ballot by mail for November’s General Election will open Sept. 9 and close Oct. 20. Visit https://barren.countyclerk.us for more information.
Jailer Aaron Shirley reported 253 were booked in July and 264 were released, with a daily average of 215. As of Aug. 17, the Barren County Detention Center housed 92 inmates from Barren County, 79 state inmates, 13 inmates from Metcalfe County, and 29 from Monroe County.
The Special Olympics 2nd Annual Softball Tournament will be Sunday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. at Jackie Browning Park, 300 Donnelly Drive, Glasgow.
The tournament was originally scheduled in July but was postponed because of weather.
Parks and Rec Director Chris Jennings said the Barren County Flames will play both the A and B teams as qualifiers for the state tournament.
“Our goal is to get the Special Olympics state tournament here in Glasgow-Barren County in the future,” Jennings said.
As of Tuesday, Jennings said 576 athletes had registered for the Glasgow-Barren County Fall Ball league, compared to 528 last year. He expects registration to exceed 600. Registration revenue totaled $31,680 as of Tuesday.
Jamie Degroft, road department supervisor, said the second mowing cycle was completed on Monday, with the third cycle starting Tuesday. The road department has also been mowing intersections for safety purposes and removing trees that fell during storms.
“Just want to give a shout out to our volunteer firefighters…couldn’t do it without them,” Degroft said. “We’re constantly battling trees every time a storm comes through.”
Sheriff Kent Keen reported increased traffic with the return of school and more than 7,800 CADS, or computer-aided dispatch calls, for the year. He reported lake rounds will soon end and the department is assisting with school traffic.
More details are forthcoming regarding Keen’s public request to the fiscal court for employee raises within the sheriff’s department. The discussion has led to a special-called jail committee meeting at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, in the Barren County Fiscal Courtroom.
The fiscal court approved the following invoices:
– Software Management, $6,004
– Carr Riggs & Ingram, $7,500
– Thomas Oil and Fuel, $7,876.37
– Aramark, $16,832.62
– Comprehensive Correctional Care, $34,201.88
Also approved were the following payments:
– Enterprise, $38,480.26
– City of Glasgow, $6,626.46
– South Central Bank, $4,128.74
– CAT Financial, $2,494.35
– Barren-Metcalfe E911, $16,219.34
Magistrate Shares Concerns
Magistrate Jeff Botts shared his appreciation for the outreach received during and after a fire destroyed his home in April. He said the state fire marshal was unable to determine the cause of the fire.
While Botts said the county is blessed to have the volunteer firefighters it has, there are some concerns have been raised and efforts are underway to address them.
Glasgow News 1 will detail his presentation in an upcoming report.
