Oldham County Fiscal Court used the Dec. 18 session to handle several budget and operational items while conducting the comprehensive-plan hearing. Amid the plan debate the court took separate votes on budget orders, grants, contracts and appointments.

Oldham County Clerk Amy Alvey presented her office's proposed 2026 budget, reporting a projected gross income of $34,423,950 and packet-listed mandated distributions (packet text cited approximately $30,000,864.64). The court approved the clerk's budget and set the annual maximum that the clerk may expend for deputies and assistants at $1,802,570.

The sheriff's office presented proposed salaries for 2026 that the court set at $3,035,963.50 (including benefits). The court also approved the sheriff's revenue projection for next year after finance-committee review.

On contracts and grants, the court authorized Judge Vogel to sign a $5,000 Tech Ag Development grant to subsidize removal of deceased livestock and roadway deer, naming Polly Hilton as administrator; the contract structure involves county and producer cost-sharing measures (presenter described a $200 per carcass cost with the producer paying half). The court also approved a site license agreement with the prospective buyer of the Goshen Tower that will allow county dispatch equipment to remain in place for $1 per year for up to 25 years, contingent on the tower sale closing.

Under community business the court approved adding an $8,000 disbursement to the payables list for the Oldham County History Center for archival services. The chest-and-records expense prompted a brief clarification about whether the appropriation already appeared in the budget; the court approved the payment regardless.

Personnel and appointments were routine: the court approved hiring Brian Hamilton (five-year lateral officer, effective Dec. 29), recognized the retirement of a road-department employee (Andy Rankin), and reappointed Jean Jenkins and Sam Finney to the Oldham County Extension District Board (terms to 12/31/2028). Routine payables were passed earlier in the meeting.

Taken together, those votes and approvals will be integrated into the county's published 2026 budget and managed by the respective departments; the planning department separately will proceed with implementing actions tied to the adopted comprehensive plan.