Kentucky Association of Counties - KACo

03/08/2025

This week in photos: Important conversations at the state and national levels highlight the week.

03/08/2025

Congressman Hal Rogers invited county and city officials from across southern and eastern Kentucky to meet with him and leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss the recent historic flooding that impacted the region. Solutions for the future that will reduce risk to citizens, businesses and infrastructure were also discussed.

KACo President and Harlan County Judge/Executive Dan Mosley described it as a productive meeting:

“Congressman Rogers’ vision of flood proofing led to a project along the Cumberland River more than 30 years ago that has paid for itself time and time again. Countless lives, homes, and businesses have been saved due to the flood control projects in Harlan, Bell, and Knox counties.

“Additional flood proofing is greatly needed in the Kentucky River and Big Sandy areas, and Congressman Rogers is leading the push to see this occur. Friday’s meeting also focused on the need to dredge and clear streams and rivers of sediment and debris that continues to build up and reduce capacity for the water in the channels of the eastern Kentucky region.

“Investment in flood control efforts save taxpayers from future payouts related to disasters. I have personally witnessed these investments save lives and property in Harlan County and reduce the amount of federal and state assistance required. I hope and pray additional funding will be secured to continue to move folks out of harm’s way in this region which continues to be ravaged by flood waters.

“Sadly, many residences have flooded 3 or 4 times in the last 5 years and 70 Kentuckians have lost their lives from the 2025 and 2022 flood events.

“I greatly appreciate Congressman Rogers for his leadership on this matter and completely support his efforts to mitigate the impacts of future natural disasters.”

03/03/2025

📢 NEW DATE - Due to weather concerns Wednesday, the Kentucky State Tornado Drill has been rescheduled to Friday, March 7, at 10:07 a.m. ET / 9:07 a.m. CT.

03/03/2025

Kentucky county leaders are attending the NACo Legislative Conference this week, where they are engaging with county officials from across the country and participating in discussions on critical national policy issues. Key topics include energy, transportation, disaster response, immigration and the evolving regulatory landscape. The conference provides an opportunity for county leaders to collaborate, share best practices and advocate for policies that impact their communities.

03/03/2025

UPDATE - Due to weather concerns Wednesday, the Kentucky State Tornado Drill has been rescheduled to Friday, March 7 at 10:07 a.m. ET / 9:07 a.m. CT.

The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill March 5.

03/01/2025

This week in photos: A lot progress and exciting things are happening in counties.

02/28/2025

Webster County Judge/Executive Steve Henry was a featured speaker at the Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities (BRECC) Forum during the 2025 National Association of Counties Legislative Conference this week.

He led a conversation with Dr. Brian Anderson, Executive Director of the Interagency Working Group for Coal and Power Plant Communities within the U.S. Department of Energy, in a discussion on the critical role coal communities play in economic revitalization.

Kentucky leads the way on innovation

02/28/2025

Thank you to Jennifer Henson Decker, State Representative - District 58 and the Kentucky House for passing HB 368, a bill that helps counties and cities save taxpayer dollars while maintaining transparency.

If it becomes law, this legislation would allow all local governments the option to publish full legal notices online, a practice that Kentucky's 10 largest counties have successfully used for years, while still ensuring public notice in newspapers. This is an important step toward greater accessibility and efficiency in government.

02/25/2025

The approval makes immediate-need and cleaning and sanitizing money open to those who qualify.

Federal funding will include individual and public assistance.

02/24/2025

Qualifying students in Harlan County may apply for the KACo Presidential Scholarship. Applications will be accepted March 1 through April 3, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. For more information, go to https://kaco.org/member-services/presidential-scholarship/.

Dan Mosley
Harlan County Public Schools
Harlan Independent Schools
Harlan County Kentucky
Harlan Enterprise

02/24/2025

The bill filing deadline has passed, with the General Assembly introducing more than 1,000 bills in this short 30-working-day session. 😅

With 14 days remaining, here are some of the highlights from the past week.

Week 4 legislative wrap-up

02/22/2025

This week in photos: Counties continue to deal with the aftermath of recent weather events while our county attorneys and commonwealth’s attorneys gathered for annual conferences.

02/19/2025

SB 10, sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills, passed out of the Senate State and Local Government Committee Wednesday. This legislation is an initiative of the Kentucky Sheriffs Association and creates a shared responsibility model between employer and employee for covering the higher cost of retiree healthcare.

L-to-R: JD Chaney (KLC), Jeff Taylor (Kentucky Professional Firefighters Assoc.), Sen. Mills, Chief Jeremy Thompson (Elizabethtown Police), Jerry Wagner (KSA).

02/18/2025

First responders, emergency management personnel, road crews, along with state and local officials have worked around the clock for several days responding to flooding all across Kentucky. We are so thankful for their hard work and heroic actions!

Challenge after challenge, counties are committed to stepping up, working together and serving their communities.

Here's the latest information from the Governor's office: https://www.kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&prId=2407

02/17/2025

02/13/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night at KACo HQ for our 2025 County Officials Legislative Reception! We appreciate our county officials, partners and friends for coming together to recognize and support the members of the 2025 General Assembly. Your engagement and dedication make a difference for Kentucky’s counties.

02/13/2025

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for almost all of Kentucky and portions of southern Indiana in effect from early Saturday through midday Sunday.

Any first responders dealing with water hazards also may have an additional weather element to deal with in the cold.

02/12/2025

KACo President and Harlan County Judge/Executive Dan Mosley recently moderated a discussion with Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers.

Read a transcript of their Q&A from the KCJEA Conference, which touches on transportation and jail funding, bills filed during the 2025 legislative session and the potential impact of the new Trump administration.

Transcript of remarks from Rep. David Osborne and Sen. Robert Stivers at KCJEA Conference