“We are finally at the finish line on this issue,” McCracken County Judge Craig Clymer said of the 911 upgrade project.
PADUCAH – The McCracken County Fiscal Court met Tuesday evening and adopted an ordinance authorizing an interlocal agreement between the county and the city of Paducah for the provision of 911 services.
“We are finally at the finish line on this,” McCracken County Judge Craig Clymer said of the 911 upgrade project.
The next step is to draft and adopt ordinances that will implement package fees to fund the emergency department’s operating budget, which Clymer said will happen at the next fiscal court hearing.
Overall, the project will improve 911 communications and protect first responders and community members.
“It will take our community several steps forward in terms of safety,” Clymer said.
McCracken County Commissioner Bill Bartleman agreed, saying the five or more years the county has worked on the project have been critical.
“This is more important than probably anything we’ll do,” Bartleman said. “If we do nothing else, I think this is the hallmark of our term as commissioners.”
The fiscal court also approved an injunction allowing the treasurer to repay approximately $40,000 in overpayments from the McCracken County Clerk’s office. The refund is intended for residents of the province who have paid too much in tax bills.
Clymer said he hopes residents will have confidence in the county clerk’s office’s progress.
“People need that confidence when they come here and pay their taxes,” he said.
McCracken County Commissioner Eddie Jones echoed Clymer’s comments, saying the overpayments were illegally spent by “a single indicted deputy clerk,” referring to former McCracken County Deputy Clerk Michael Toon. In January, Toon was charged with two thefts.
Bruce Wilcox, president and CEO of Greater Paducah Economic Development, presented the fiscal court with an update on ongoing projects. GPED previously worked with the Tax Court to improve industry and employment in the province.
According to Wilcox, GPED currently has six active projects ranging from $20 million to $1 billion in capital investments.
Wilcox said the new number of direct jobs for the projects is 849, with an average wage of $24.07.
During the meeting, the fiscal court added Juneteenth to the holidays observed by the province.
The fiscal court also approved the proposed operating budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
