Georgetown Republican Senator Damon Thayer received the 2022 County Advocate Award from the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) for his leadership and responsiveness to the needs of his county.
KACo Executive Director and CEO Jim Henderson said: “He works closely with elected county officials in his constituency and is always open to hearing KACo’s views. I have never been without and I am very grateful to have had such a valuable relationship in the Senate.”
In his role as leader of the Senate Majority, Thayer plays an important role as the gatekeeper of public policy. He assisted and secured passage of a number of his KACo-backed legislative priorities, including:
Senator Damon Thayer was awarded the 2022 County Advocate Award by the Kentucky County Association. (Photo courtesy of KACo)
• broadband — $1.1 million to establish a broadband development office under the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. (House Bill 315)
• county road — Provide $278.6 million for county road assistance over the next two years and $338.1 million for local secondary education programs over the next two years. (State Highway Plan, House Bill 242)
• County Clerk’s Electronic Records — Facilitate online access to titles, deeds and mortgages. (Senate Bill 135)
• prison — Increased the daily reimbursement rate for holding state inmates in county jails by $4 from the current $31.34 to $35.34 per day, and $15 million in prison video arraignment equipment subsidies through the Department of Local Government Increased. (State Budget, House Bill 1)
• tax reform — Move Kentucky responsibly and gradually from a heavy reliance on income taxes to a more consumption-based tax system. (House Bill 8)
• Water and sewage system — $250 million for the Drinking Water and Wastewater Subsidy Program and $10 million to establish the Water Management Assistance Fund to support the capital and non-capital expenditures of government agencies that provide drinking water and wastewater services to the public . (State Budget, House Bill 1)
• Western Kentucky Disaster Relief — Expanding disaster assistance. (Senate Bill 150)
“We are grateful to be recognized by KACo and receive this award,” said Thayer. “I take my responsibilities as Senate Majority Speaker very seriously and am delighted to have Jim and his KACo as advocates for good policy for the residents of Kentucky County and the state at large. We look forward to working with them in Congress.”
According to the organization’s website, KACo is dedicated to serving every Kentucky county by providing the highest quality programs and services and by legislatively defending the county both today and tomorrow. increase.
KACo provides services and assistance to Kentucky County officials and serves as a public resource for providing official county directories, tracking election results, county finances, and more. For more information, visit kaco.org.
The 2023 legislative session begins on Tuesday, January 3.
Kentucky County Association