REFLECTIONS and PROJECTIONS

With the start of this new year, I want to say that I am honored to begin my fourth calendar year as your County Executive. We are truly blessed to live in Lawrence County, and I pray this year brings continued blessings to our community, to you, and to your family.

 

Today, I want to reflect on the past three years and look ahead to the eight months remaining in my first term, and beyond, if I am granted the privilege of serving a second term.

 

During my first campaign, I repeatedly heard that our first responders needed a better way to communicate their needs to the County Commission. One of my first actions as County Executive was to establish the Emergency Services Committee, bringing first responders and Commissioners together at the same table.

 

The results have made Lawrence County safer. Open, honest communication led to living-wage raises for our Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Medical Service, additional EMS staff, and a fifth ambulance on the road 24/7. We more than doubled our annual allotment to Lawrence County Fire & Rescue (LCFR), an organization that includes our Volunteer Fire Departments. This allowed LCFR to complete the Jason Dickey Memorial Fire Training Center, and hire staff members to support our volunteer fire departments as volunteer numbers decline.

 

I especially appreciate the input of LCFR Director Tyler McDow, who has worked as a volunteer fireman since he was a teenager. He continues to work as a volunteer – he donates his $30,000 annual salary to LCFR.

 

Looking ahead, I will continue working closely with first responders and Sheriff Myers, to ensure his Department has the tools it needs to combat drugs entering our community. Drug dealers spare no effort, and neither should we.

 

Last year, our Maintenance Department renovated space next door to our Budget office on Mahr Avenue to house the Lawrence County Election Commission. With that move complete, work is now underway to convert the former Election Office into a new Veterans Service Office. Both relocations provide improved parking and more functional space to better serve the public.

 

Maintenance Director Mark Brewer and his crew (Bethe Bolin, Victoria Brown, Bobby Gray, and Cindy Staggs) are a great blessing to Lawrence County. They, along with inmates who volunteer to work with them, completed these renovations and many more, saving taxpayers thousands.

 

Construction of the new Health Department at the corner of Brannon Street and Liberty Avenue is underway and is expected to be completed in late summer. The new facility will be more accessible, especially for people who walk to appointments, and, best of all, is fully funded through state and federal grants. Future use of the current Health Department building has not been determined.

 

We also recently learned that Lawrence County won a $500,000 grant to preserve our historic courthouse, which turns 52 this year. Planned improvements include repairing the clock and bell tower so it will once again chime on the hour; cleaning, repointing and resealing the exterior black marble; and applying a protective coating to concrete surfaces to prevent weather-related deterioration. Work is expected to begin this spring.

 

Looking ahead, the County and the City of Lawrenceburg have partnered to purchase a lot on the east side of the Lawrence County Public Library for future expansion. Additional space will allow the Library to offer more programming for all ages, grow the children’s reading area and provide quiet spaces for individuals or small groups.

 

A new location or a complete renovation of EMS headquarters is also on the horizon. While the building is structurally sound, its layout no longer meets the needs of current staff.

 

In 2025, the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department assumed supervision of the Animal Shelter and implemented a countywide animal control program. The City of Lawrenceburg remains a financial partner, and animals picked up within the city are also housed at the Shelter.

 

The Shelter often operates at or near capacity, and there are times when it cannot accept additional dogs. Adoption is the solution. If you are looking for a new companion, please consider the Animal Shelter first. You can follow them on Facebook to learn about adoption events and available dogs.

 

In 2025, the Commission increased its annual community spay/neuter contribution by $10,000, bringing the total to $35,000. Friends of Lawrence County Animals (FOLCA) administers the SNIPS (Spay/Neuter Is a Positive Solution) program, which helps low-income residents have their pets spayed or neutered. All dogs adopted from the Shelter are spayed or neutered, or adopters receive certificates for the procedure when puppies are old enough. SNIPS funds are not used for Shelter medical procedures.

 

The next goal for the Shelter is constructing an intake/quarantine facility that would keep illness from spreading to the entire Shelter population. It will be named in honor of veterinarian Dr. Dan Jennings, whose compassion for animals and people made a lasting impact on this community.

 

. . . Continued next week