Council creates Legacy Hopkinsville committee; members to study inner-city housing funding and eligibility

The Hopkinsville City Council on June 3 issued an executive order creating the Legacy Hopkinsville committee to study and make recommendations regarding funding for the Inner City Residential Enterprise Zone program. The executive order lists committee members from the council and does not require immediate action.

Executive order and membership Mayor James R. Knight Jr. issued Executive Order 209-2025 creating the Legacy Hopkinsville committee. The order names the following council members to the committee: Jason Bell, Bridal Bogard, Amy Craig, Elizabeth Drowell, Donald Marsh, Vance Smith and Brandy Statlins. The council did not vote on the executive order because no action was required for its creation; the committee was announced on the council floor and members were listed in the order.

Discussion on eligibility: geographic vs. income-based During council comments, a council member raised questions about the program’s geographic eligibility, asking why assistance through the inner-city enterprise zone is limited by location rather than by household income or demonstrated hardship. The council member said the distinction had prompted many constituent inquiries and asked whether the program could be made equitable for homeowners in other wards who face similar financial situations.

A staff member responded that the program was originally set up to use existing target areas identified as low- to moderate-income via census data tied to the city’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) planning and that eligibility has been based on both census-defined geography and housing-stock conditions. The staff member said some eligibility triggers—such as assessed property value thresholds—require income calculations for applicants within those geographic boundaries. The staff member confirmed council can change those parameters.

Council intent and next steps Council members said the committee will consider whether eligibility should be defined geographically or by economic need and will also examine funding levels. One council member noted that broadening eligibility could require additional funding beyond amounts previously requested, and the committee was asked to return recommendations to the full council. No funding decisions were made at the June 3 meeting.

What this means for residents The executive order formally establishes the group that will study program scope and funding. Residents who asked the council about eligibility were told the committee will evaluate whether the Inner City Residential Enterprise Zone program’s rules should change and whether additional budgetary allocations would be needed to expand assistance beyond current targeted areas.