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Woodford County Fiscal Court backs $70M-plus 2026–27 budget, moves to cut property tax rate
Summary
The Woodford County Fiscal Court approved a fiscal 2026–27 budget described as the largest in county history (over $70 million), planned property tax reductions, and funding boosts for law enforcement, roads, water and housing initiatives; the court said the county maintains low debt and seven consecutive clean audits.
The Woodford County Fiscal Court approved its fiscal year 2026–27 budget, a plan the judge described as “over $70 million” and the largest in county history, while pledging to lower the county property tax rate.
The judge told the court the county’s conservative budgeting and continued clean audits (seven consecutive years) place Woodford County in a strong financial position. The court reported a cash balance of $12,952,856.46 and said the budget includes substantial investments in law enforcement, road maintenance, water and sewer projects, housing affordability, and public-safety programs.
“The fiscal court has recognized that we need to do our part to lower the property tax rate,” the judge said, adding that the budget will fund a skills-based pay model for the road department, expand law-enforcement funding, and support emergency services and substance-use programs.
Budget highlights the judge listed include an $8.5 million sewer project in Millville, a $1.3 million water project to extend city water to several neighborhoods, courthouse annex HVAC work, and a $1.1 million Paynes Depot bridge rebuild—projects the judge said are funded largely through grants.
The budget also allocates funding for a Woodford County Housing Affordability Plan. The judge described three tenants of that plan: programs to keep people in their homes by bridging utility arrearages, a pilot legal-defense fund for homeowners at risk of losing their homes, and a joint city–county land trust to build affordable housing.
Madam Treasurer reported the county’s June cash balance and that quarter-end transfers and receipts were before the court, and the court authorized any necessary email approvals to finalize fiscal-year-end transactions by June 30.
The court said the budget was discussed and passed in the Committee of the Whole and recorded as adopted by the fiscal court. Members did not record a roll-call of the final budget vote in the transcript beyond the committee action and the judge’s summary that the budget was approved.
What happens next: the court said it will continue to work with taxing districts to encourage complementary rate decisions and to implement the funded projects; further public notices or hearings were not scheduled in the transcript.
