Nelson Co. Judge-Executive offers update on county government, cleanup efforts
By TIM HUTCHINS
Nelson County Judge-Executive
Saturday, April 8, 2023 — With the beginning of Spring, April will also begin the “Operation Clean up Nelson County Program”. With the help of our jail inmates and personnel, roadside cleanup has begun and will continue all over the county. Our crews are doing a terrific job, but in less than 1 mile, over 25 bags of trash were picked up in one location. I challenge all groups and clubs to consider service hours of roadside cleanup. If interested, please contact my office for details (502) 348-1800.
Jailer Justin Hall and County Engineers John Greenwell and Brad Spalding have helped me finalize plans to have another inmate program to complete mowing, painting, bulky item pickup and other projects throughout the county. This is another program with no cost to taxpayers.
In addition to the roadside and county cleanup efforts, a review of the county nuisance ordinance has also started. I personally have visited with several concerned citizens about the condition of many neighboring properties.
Since I took the Nelson County Judge Executive position in January, I have been adamant about the need for NC Government to apply for federal and state grants. To date, Nelson County has applied for over $1.6 million dollars in grant applications. These applications range from building repair to technology to water service. Obviously, we will not receive all of the grants that we have applied, but we are one step closer than we were prior to January 2023.
Some departments throughout Nelson County survive on user fees. These departments depend on this funding for the salaries of their employees. The lack of keeping pace with current inflation and pricing has caused some departments to be unable to sustain their own budgets and be non-self-sufficient. This has required county government to use General Fund monies to handle these shortfalls rather than the users of the services paying sufficient fees to pay for those services. In the next few months, Nelson County Fiscal Court will be reviewing and adjusting policies where needed.
One of the definitions of stagnation is “we’ve always done it this way.” Since I took office in January, I have heard many times throughout the county that “we’ve always done it this way,” Change is hard and can be difficult at times, however, positive change is needed. One of the challenges that I’ve faced with my short time in office has been the fact that Nelson County Government must be more aggressive, proactive, and look out for the best interest of our taxpayers and citizens. I was elected by the constituents of this county to work for them and protect their interests. I will continue to address issues that have not been addressed and/or ignored.
Nelson County and the surrounding counties lost the fight regarding House Bill 5, the repeal of the bourbon barrel tax. Bourbon lobbyists were the winners over the taxpayers – again. The legislature chose to go with big business and industry giants over the citizens of Nelson Cunty and our neighbors. A big thanks to Josh Ballard, Pam Thomas, David Daugherty, Jerry Summers, and our county own leaders for their leadership and assistance in our fight.
Thanks to our citizens who made calls, sent emails, and sent words of encouragement to us all while we fought a fight that was an uphill battle from the beginning.
A special thanks to Sen. Jimmy Higdon and Rep. Candy Massaroni who stood for the people that they represent instead of the establishment. Our next step is to start to rebuild what the bourbon industry will be taking from us. Some tough decisions and policies will have to be made to overcome the long-term effects that HB5 will have on our communities.
To contact the office of Judge Executive Tim Hutchins, call (502) 348-1800.
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