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Spencer County fiscal court starts process to consider discontinuing Edmondson Road
Summary
After a resident asked the court to stop maintaining Edmondson Road, the Spencer County Fiscal Court voted to start the formal KRS Chapter 178 discontinuance process, including appointing disinterested viewers and funding advertisement and notice steps.
A resident told the Spencer County Fiscal Court on June 16 that Edmondson Road is "pretty much a waste of taxpayer money for a road that gets used 6 times a year by 1 person," and asked the court to discontinue the county-maintained portion.
The court voted to begin the statutory process for a county-road discontinuance under Kentucky law, directing staff to pay for required notices and to appoint two disinterested viewers to work with the road department and prepare a report for the court.
Why it matters: If the court follows the KRS Chapter 178 procedure and the viewers and road foreman recommend closure, the county can vote to discontinue the road. A successful discontinuance would remove county maintenance responsibility and convert the traveled way to a private easement, which affects property access, maintenance obligations and property value.
At the meeting, the resident (Barnett) described repeated dumping, theft and low use on Edmondson Road and said closing the road would prevent county-maintained service for what he characterized as private use. County staff explained the legal steps required under the Kentucky Revised Statutes, including an unbiased survey by the road department and two disinterested viewers, public notice, and the possibility of a judicial challenge after the court acts.
The court directed county staff to arrange the required advertisement and to present two proposed disinterested viewers for approval at the next meeting, and to have road department staff and the viewers inspect the road and file their report for the court to consider.
The move is procedural; the court did not discontinue the road tonight. Commissioners and other speakers noted both sides: the cost and ongoing maintenance burden for taxpayers and the effect on property owners who rely on the road for access. The court acknowledged that property values typically change when a county road is discontinued.
Next steps: staff will place the legally required notices and the appointed viewers will produce a report; the court will receive that report and may vote on discontinuance at a future meeting. If the court votes to discontinue, property owners may still challenge that decision in circuit court.
