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Hardin County proposes $62.47M balanced budget that leans on hospital‑sale payouts, funds EMS upgrades
Summary
Hardin County Fiscal Court presented a $62,468,098 balanced FY2026–27 budget that uses roughly $2 million of an annual $2.7 million hospital‑sale payout, includes a 2% cost‑of‑living increase for employees, step/grade adjustments, and about $900,000 for EMS equipment replacement.
Judge Tull presented the Hardin County Fiscal Court’s proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget on April 27, calling for a balanced plan totaling $62,468,098.
The proposal relies on recurring taxes and fees (about $24 million) and the planned use of roughly $2,000,000 of an annual $2,700,000 payout from the county’s hospital sale. "This proposed budget is a balanced budget of $62,468,098," Judge Tull said during the presentation. He told the court the plan would increase reserves modestly if the hospital‑sale revenue and other assumptions hold.
Why it matters: the budget funds core county operations and several public‑safety priorities while preserving a large rainy‑day reserve. The plan includes a 2% cost‑of‑living adjustment for county employees, automatic step increases and nine grade changes affecting other staff; Judge Tull said personnel changes amount to roughly a 2.1% increase in personnel expenses. The budget also earmarks about $905,000 for EMS capital investments next year to replace monitors and defibrillators approaching obsolescence.
Details and context: Judge Tull described the county’s net unrestricted cash position at nearly $34 million as of March, with a rainy‑day reserve set at 25% of annual expenditures. With the hospital‑sale payout treated as unrestricted general‑fund revenue, he said the county expects to add roughly $700,000 to reserves under the proposed plan. The budget includes subsidies totaling about $12.3 million distributed to other offices and local entities (notably a $5.7 million subsidy for the detention center and $3.4 million for the sheriff), and sets aside capital funding from the hospital‑sale proceeds for future public‑safety projects.
The proposal anticipates modest property‑value growth (about 4%) and assumes solid‑waste revenues and industrial/occupational tax revenues will continue to support the general fund; managers expect to use ~$2.5 million from industrial taxing district receipts for roads and general services. Judge Tull also noted state assistance anticipated from a Blue Oval pilot agreement and a future $6.5 million appropriation from the state general assembly that will become available next July but will not fully fund the county’s planned public‑safety building.
Budget process next steps: the court will hold finance committee meetings over the coming weeks, publish the first reading of the budget ordinance at the next fiscal‑court meeting, hold a public hearing, then pursue a second reading and final adoption (Judge Tull indicated a likely target of June 9 for adoption and formal submission to the Kentucky Department for Local Government).
Quotes and attributions: direct quotes in this article are drawn from Judge Tull’s presentation and are attributed to him. Detailed line‑item appendices and supporting slides were made available to the court and will be posted to the county website following the meeting.
What’s next: the court scheduled committee review meetings and will return for ordinance readings and a public hearing before final adoption.
