04/30/2026
$4.6 MILLION FOR THE CITY OF MIDDLESBORO
As some of you may know, this month the Kentucky General Assembly closed their 2026 Session and given that it was an even year, it was also the budget session for fiscal year 2027 and 2028.
There were several things outlined in our City Strategic Plan that was adopted in July of 2025. In that plan, there were several important issues that were brought up and projects that we’re hopeful to see come to fruition over the next five years.
Since that plan, we have been diving deeper into how we can start checking off some of these items. In October, we began to assemble our First Phase Funding Proposal which is directed towards Community Development and Flood Mitigation. We were able to submit this proposal and blessed that the General Assembly sees and understands the vision of what we are trying to build here in Middlesboro.
We will be receiving $1.8 million in July 2026 which will be used for a true, in-depth Flood Mitigation Study and Hydrology Report, City Hall Parking Lot Walkway Planning and Renovation, Construction of a Farmers Market, development of improved baseball facilities and new soccer fields, and most importantly, the construction for Middlesboro’s first Boys and Girls Club with several very important partnerships for our youth and drug prevention.
We will be receiving $2.8 million in July of 2027 which will be used for the start of Flood Mitigation projects, continued and finishing construction for our Youth Sports Complex, new lighting and amenities for our downtown, cohesive signage throughout the city (and our truck route), as well as some walking/hiking trails throughout town.
We are very blessed and excited to see what this does for our community, and please keep in mind that this is the start of where we are going, not our finish line. There are several things we are still working on in other avenues as well, but we do want to communicate with you about one of our small victories.
With this “win,” it doesn’t mean it was an overnight victory, nor will these projects be built overnight, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we are seeing our patience paying off slowly but surely.
We owe a big thanks to our State Representative Adam Bowling and Senator Scott Madon who not only pushed and advocated for this opportunity but actually came out and participated in our Strategic Plan Community Meeting to see this dream into reality!
We look forward to sharing more details as things progress!
