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Fiscal Court votes to apply for Opportunity Zone designation for qualifying tracts
Summary
The Ballard County Fiscal Court voted to pass a resolution asking the governor to designate qualifying census tracts as Opportunity Zones for another 10-year period, citing available sites and recent local investment as reasons to reapply.
The Ballard County Fiscal Court on April 16 approved a resolution to apply to the governor for Opportunity Zone designation for qualifying census tracts, a move the court said could secure a 10-year federal tax incentive window for local development.
Tom, the meeting chair, told the court two of the county’s three census tracts previously had Opportunity Zone status and that one tract in the county now qualifies due to lower median-family income. "So, I'm going to move for a resolution," Tom said, and the motion was seconded and approved by the court.
Tom said the county has several suitable sites and existing industrial assets — including a paper mill and the Ingevity carbon plant — that could attract investment if the designation is restored. He described the process: the county must complete an application, the economic development cabinet will review local sites, and the cabinet will then make a recommendation to the governor.
The court discussed recent local projects that previously used Opportunity Zone incentives, including a paper-mill redevelopment and renovation of the former West Cycle Apartments. Tom said he planned to bypass the economic cabinet and appeal directly to the governor "and hopefully touch his heartstrings" to secure the designation for another decade.
The court recorded the approval but did not identify specific sites or provide a timetable for the governor’s decision.
