Madison County fiscal court adopts water-meter fee to fund 9-1-1 services, repeals landline charge

Madison County Fiscal Court on Oct. 28 adopted an ordinance replacing the county's landline 9-1-1 funding mechanism with a monthly water-meter fee for customers in unincorporated areas, and passed a companion resolution asking water districts and utilities to collect and remit the new charge.

The ordinance (2025-011) establishes three fee tiers for unincorporated accounts: $3.50 for noncommercial, $12.50 for commercial (meter 1 inch or less), and $25 for large commercial/industrial (meter greater than 1 inch). It repeals the existing landline fee ordinance 07-11, effective Dec. 31, 2025; the new fee will begin Jan. 1, 2026. The court voted to adopt the ordinance during its second reading and approved Resolution 2025-099, which asks utilities to enter memoranda of agreement to collect and remit fees and permits utilities to retain an administrative collection fee as allowed under the ordinance.

County staff cited Kentucky Revised Statutes as the legal authority for the change. County staff explained that KRS 65.760 limits how 9-1-1 funds may be used and that those funds must be dedicated to specific 9-1-1 system costs rather than general fund purposes. "KRS 65 Dot 7 6 0, specifically outlines what it can pay for and what it cannot pay for. It can pay for, radio infrastructure, but it does not pay for portable radios or mobile radios or things of that nature," county staff member Jill said during the meeting.

Magistrates and staff discussed impacts on farming customers and potential exemptions. Staff said some farm accounts already have agricultural sales-and-use tax exemptions and encouraged outreach so eligible farmers could claim exemption numbers; "the agricultural sales and use exemption... applies to all utilities, not just water," Jill said. County officials said utilities will have a standardized memorandum of agreement and may retain a modest administrative fee to offset collection costs. The court emphasized that collected monies will be deposited into a special revenue 9-1-1 fund and not commingled with the county general fund.

Judge Executive Reagan Taylor and magistrates said they worked with utilities and stakeholders over two years to craft a model they expect to be sustainable and fair. Following a roll-call vote the ordinance and the resolution passed.

The ordinance takes effect with its second reading and adoption; the landline fee will end Dec. 31, 2025, and the new collection method will start Jan. 1, 2026. The next steps include finalizing memoranda of agreement with each utility and an outreach effort to inform customers, particularly agricultural accounts, about exemption applications and administrative-fee arrangements.