Taylor seeks fourth term
Touts achievements to County leaders, says his administration was 'DOGE before there was a DOGE'
RICHMOND–Four more years. One Madison County.
Such were the declarations of Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor in his State of the County address, which was about a half-hour long, and given today to a sold out lunch crowd of various County business owners and employees, executives, elected officials, and two Republican hopefuls, in the Perkins Building of EKU. The event was sponsored and hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
During his address, Taylor announced his bid for re-election as the County's top administrator. If he succeeds, Taylor will add four more years of tenure to the job he's held since 2015. Next week, all candidates, including incumbents, must file their intention to run for office with the state's Board of Elections.
"One Madison County" was the theme of Taylor's State of the County address, with multiple references to ways residents, businesses and elected officials can, should and do work together to make this county successful, with one key metric, both now and in the future, being the amount of job creation Madison County can achieve. Of all the bullet points in his speech, Taylor spent the most time on economic development.
In the aggregate, the State of the County is "strong", Taylor said, after a short video highlighting multiple departments in the County, including the animal shelter, the fire department, and County road crews, among others. Taylor noted he also engages constantly with Frankfort for "improved infrastructure" in the County.
Government efficiency
Taylor began with government efficiency in his list describing the County's status. "We reconfigured our government to focus on achieving maximum levels of efficiency and productivity. Think of it as our version of DOGE far before there was a DOGE," Taylor told the audience to laughter.
DOGE is the acronym for the Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial agency of the federal government created by President Trump for supporter Elon Musk, allegedly to streamline federal bureaucracies.
Earlier this year, The County's Magistrates and Taylor voted not to raise property taxes, as they claimed it was unnecessary.
While Taylor did not mention one of the biggest challenges the County faced this year–namely, the ending of funding from the federal CSEPP (Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program), and finding a way to fully fund countywide 911 services–he did give a nod to the successful use of CSEPP in helping to decommission the Blue Grass Army Depot's chemical weapons stockpile.
"Our use of CSEPP infrastructure funding is a shining example, helping Madison County and others across Kentucky, while creating a legacy that will serve our future," Taylor said.
Public Safety
Taylor addressed public safety, name checking the Emergency Communications Center which handles all 911 calls in the County, but once again, failing to mention the grief caused when Richmond City pulled out of an interlocal agreement that would have tied the three County jurisdictions together in a funding mechanism for emergency call response.
Richmond mayor, Robert Blythe, who was seated in the audience, told The Edge in a sidelines interview that he'd advocated Richmond pulling out of the interlocal agreement after he saw in a live stream, a resident ask the Fiscal Court what the funding mechanism was to be. He said he didn't recall the date of the livestream.
"That's when I learned the County had changed the funding from what I had understood to be $75 per door," Blythe said. In early 2024, City officials signed the interlocal agreement, which specified a square footage formula would be used.
"It bothered me that the City of Richmond was made out to be the bad guy when all we were trying to do was help," Blythe said.
Taylor also mentioned the addition of Text-to-911, a new service offered by the County for those for whom placing a call to 911 would endanger them, or for those who are otherwise unable to place a call.
Construction on a new Northern Madison County Fire Station will begin soon, in order to serve the northeastern portion of the County which borders Clark County.
Infrastructure
Taylor emphasized that infrastructure projects are need-based and are not the results of backroom deals, and left it at that. Likely, this was a joust at citizen activists who are critical of Taylor and his administration, and who have gained a wide following on social media for their push back on what they see as too rapid development in the County.
Taylor also mentioned the Madison Connects broadband expansion project is nearing completion, making internet connection possible countywide.
Financial strength
Riffing on his DOGE-y approach to fiscal management, Taylor said "this is not the county we inherited in 2015. It's stronger, lean re, and more prepared for the future." He lauded the County's transparency, and pointed to the financial dashboards that have been installed on the County's website for ready access. Taylor said the County's financial position is "stronger than ever" with a "strong" bond rating, low liabilities, and healthy reserves.
Economic development
Not for the first time in his role as Judge Executive, Taylor waxed fondly about regionalism and spoke of what he called an "unbelievably exciting" development in the County. That would be the Central Kentucky Regional Business Park Authority which is an interlocal agreement between Madison, Scott, and Fayette counties, along with Berea. The first of what is projected to be several business parks, will be built in Berea.
"This initiative reduces risk, pools resources, and created a unified approach to economic growth that transcends county lines and benefits the entire region through job opportunities right here in Madison County," Taylor said.
Taylor then asked his audience to consider how different the region's economy would be now if in the 1980s when Toyota came to Central Kentucky, had the leadership at the time had "thought about regionalism."
Taylor said that the days of the County viewing success according to how much land is cleared to build houses are over, and that the County will no longer be a bedroom community for Lexington, but will create its own manufacturing and technology sector to keep people here.
"Today's labor force demands an exceptional quality-of-life," Taylor said. "People want short commutes from strong communities to safe and dynamic workplaces."
For that to happen, Taylor said his administration is focused on public safety, quality schools, entertainment and recreation options, and keeping the County beautiful.
Community and resilience
Taylor applauded Madison County staff and citizens for their dedication, resilience and hard work during the Great Recession the opioid epidemic and covid, and commended the County's IT team for supporting over 1,400 computers simultaneously, while also training and offering IT services to other municipalities.
The Madison County Opioid Task Force is led by the County's attorney, Jennie Haymond, which Taylor said exemplifies his One Madison theme, working together with many community-based services to offer stronger futures for generations.
Throughout his address, Taylor hit the Madison One note, and praised citizens and County workers alike for doing their part to "always make decisions based on what is good for the County as a whole." Taylor also welcomed those who are relatively new to the County, saying, "Everyone has a role in shaping One Madison."
Taylor laid out his platform for re-election, saying he would like to emphasize public safety and preparedness, work to expand infrastructure, maintain the County's strong record of fiscal responsibility, support a growing workforce and business community, and to "act with purpose" on behalf of County citizens.
In the audience
Watching from the crowd as Taylor gave the County's status report were Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley, County Magistrates Tom Botkin and Brian Combs, EKU president, David McFadden, the leadership of the Madison County School District, and Republican candidates Andrew Simpson, who is seeking to fill an empty seat in the 81st district, and Ralph Alvarado, MD, who is making a run for Andy Barr's 6th Congressional District seat.
This story has been updated.