Jackie Broach, the county's public information officer, and co-host Randy Akers opened the county's year-in-review podcast by saying 2025 was "a year of planning, growth, and investment." They told listeners the county served more than 65,000 residents with a $121,000,000 budget and won a national award for financial reporting.
Broach and Akers highlighted the first year of revenue from the voter-approved capital project sales tax (CPST), which they said has already been earmarked for major projects including an emergency operations center and 911 communications complex, drainage work, recreation upgrades and transportation improvements. "Phase 1 is always planning, engineering, design, environmental review, all of those unglamorous steps that go on behind the scenes," Broach said, describing the schedule that leads into construction in 2026.
The hosts credited county departments for national recognition in digital communication, transparency and public outreach and noted the county's communications team revamped the monthly newsletter and expanded the Taxpayer Academy. They also said the First Friday podcast grew in listeners and engagement during 2025.
The episode closed with a forward look: County leaders expect CPST-funded projects to move from planning into visible construction next year, continued rollout of transparency and digital tools, and ongoing efforts to protect natural resources and strengthen local economic opportunity.