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Welcome to Oldham Ahead!

Winter Scene in Oldham County

           Learn what Oldham Ahead is doing to enhance the county’s natural and cultural resources while working to sustain its equine, agricultural, and commercial base.   We invite you to learn what you can do to contribute to the county’s future vision.

"Preserving a Rural Legacy for the 22nd Century"

7 June 2010

May 18 Primary Elections

5 of 7 Incumbent Magistrates Defeated

Read the Courier-Journal's Andrea Uhde's Assessment of the 2010 Primary Result

29 April 2010

Kentucky Auditor of Public Account Releases Letter Regarding
Oldham County School's Purchase of Brownsboro Campus Site

School District Failed to Follow Kentucky Administrative Regulations

Crit Luallen, the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts (APA) released a letter to the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education on April 29 regarding an Oldham County Board of Education (OCBOE) real property transaction in October 2009.

The APA looked into three concerns:

1.  Did the Oldham County Board of Education comply with 702 KAR 4:050 relative to the transaction?
2.  Was the purchase price OCBOE paid for the property fair and reasonable?
3.  Was the role of a third party in the purchase appropriate?

View the Letter to Commissioner Holliday

Then watch the Video below to help you determine if the price paid was fair and reasonable:

June 20, 2008 Board of Assessment Appeals Video

29 April 2010

Oldham Ahead Directors Buy Historic Hermitage Farm

Landmark Oldham Thoroughbred Operation to Remain an Equine Operation

Oldham Ahead Board of Director members Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson are purchasing Hermitage Farm, the historic 700 acre thoroughbred breeding operation located in the Goshen area of Oldham County.   They are purchasing the farm from Carl Pollard.

"Laura Lee and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to become part of Hermitage Farm’s great history," Wilson said in a statement. "It has long been a dream of ours that Hermitage farm remain the same beautiful open green space that it is today. We’ve been working for the last few months to create this unique agreement with Carl, and are confident it will have long-reaching benefits for the community.

"We plan to honor the farm’s remarkable tradition far into the future, and intend to place the property in an environmental conservation easement."

Brown and Wilson said they plan to hold an "exhaustive planning session" on Monday and Tuesday, May 3 and 4, with architects and equine industry leaders about how to "chart the proper future course for Hermitage."

Brown and Wilson previously bought about 180 acres of mostly unimproved land on the 700-acre farm from Pollard in 2003 and have leased that back to him for the last seven years.

 “It’s a breeding farm that’s (got) great tradition and history in Kentucky and our interest is preserving the farm and making it more vibrant and developing more horse activities in order to save the farm,” Wilson told the Louisville Courier-Journal. 

Laura Lee and Steve have been leaders in Oldham County and Kentucky in promoting land conservation and smart growth.  They placed 244 acres of their Woodland Farm located near Westport in a conservation easement to the Kentucky Purchase of Agricultural Conservations Easements Corporation and have been extremely active in land and historic preservation issues.  

Laura Lee and Steve are among the founders of Oldham Ahead in 1999 and once again have taken demonstrative action to preserve Oldham County’s rich rural and equine heritage. 

Read the Press Reports

Courier-Journal

Oldham Era

Blood-Horse.com

Herald-Leader

Cincinnati.com

28 March 2010

Census Bureau Releases New Oldham County Population Estimates

Last Year's Growth of 370 Slowest Since 1971

The Census Bureau released the 2009 County Population estimates on March 21, 2010.  The estimated Oldham County population as of July 1, 2009 was 58,095.  Since the 2000 census, Oldham County has realized a net gain of 11,477 people--an overall 24.6 percent increase.  Oldham County’s population increased by an estimated 370 persons from July 1, 2008 to July 1, 2009—the lowest single year estimated population increase for the county since 1971.

 The 2009 population estimates are the last set of county population estimates data to be released by the Census Bureau  prior to the 2010 Census.  Given the latest estimates, the official county population as of 1 April 2010 will likely be approximately 58,500.

The nine years of estimate data since 2000 provide a good picture of Oldham County’s growth the first decade of the 21^st Century.  Highlights include:  

• Oldham County’s estimated population of 58,095 places it 15^th of 120 Commonwealth counties
• Oldham County has grown by 24.6 percent since April 2000—6^th in the state
• The county’s 11,477 population increase since April 2000 ranks 8^th 
• The county’s 5,132 birth’s this decade to date ranks 23^rd
• The county’s 2,679 deaths this decade to date ranks 38^th
• An estimated 8,838 net persons migrated domestically into the county, ranking Oldham County 3^rd in the state
• An estimated 330 net persons migrated internationally into the county, ranking Oldham County 21^st in the state

Download our 2009 Population and Housing Trends Information Paper

March 2010

New Oldham County Geographic Information System (GIS) Provides Free Mapping Data

The Oldham Geographic information Consortium has launched their free GIS website providing information such as aerial photography, parcels, streets, addresses, zoning, magistrate districts, greenways, floodplains, and more.  We urge you to visit www.oldhamgis.org and follow the "GIS Internet Mapping" link. 

It will take some time to figure out the capabilities of the GIS mapping available on the site, but this new, free services provides citizens detailed information not previously readily available.

Oldham County Maps and  Property Data Available On-Line (Courier-Journal, 24 February 2010)

2010 Primary Election Candidates

Download the listing of county candidates who will be on May's Primary ballot. 

Oldham Ahead is very concerned about the influence the local development community  has had in funding Oldham County Judge-Executive and Magistrate races the past few election cycles.   Download, read, and pass along the White Paper Oldham Ahead developed to analyze the source of campaign contributions in the 2006 elections.  We believe it is important that citizens and potential candidates for county level positions for the 2010 primary elections understand the dynamics of local office campaign funding and the roles interest groups have on local races, public policy, and local taxes.

School Enrollment and Housing Starts Data

The Oldham County School District provided the Planning Commission its latest enrollment data during the February 23 Planning Commission meeting.  The commission approved the Three Year Enrollment and Growth Comparison provided by the Board of Education.  The data, which also includes five-year enrollment figures, along with projections out to school year 2014/15 by school is useful for the commission when considering proposed new developments.  We've taken the data contained in the latest comparison and added previous data back to the 2002/03 school year to provide a view of the enrollment trends, percentages, and comparison with Oldham County housing starts.

The chart below reflects the dramatic fall-off of first school month new enrollment from the 2007/08 school year to the past two years.

The enrollment percentages are shown below.

The decline in enrollment is, of course, related to the housing decline.  The Board of Education provides the new housing starts with its enrollment data and computes a ratio of new students to new houses.  The ratio fell from a high of 1.019 in the 2006/07 school year to a low of .122 for the 2008/09 school year, a year that resulted in only 34 new students.

The housing and student declines are adversely affecting schools funding from both a property tax perspective and from the state allocation of funding based on student headcount. 

26 January 2010

Oldham County Planning and Zoning Services 2009 Annual Report

The Oldham County Planning and Zoning Services Department released its Annual Report of activities, housing permit and building permit statistics, county demographics, Planning Commission case summary and more.  Extracted from the report is the graphic below, which provides 10 years of approved preliminary plat, record plat and building permit data.

The graphic below reflects the geographic distribution of new housing permits in Oldham County during 2009.

Download the 2009 Annual Report

January 2010

North and South Oldham High Schools Name to U.S. & News Report Best High Schools for 2010

North Oldham and South Oldham High School were recognized in December by U.S. & News Report as Silver Award Best High Schools in the U.S.  There were no Gold Award schools in Kentucky and only eight Silver Award High Schools.

Both high schools repeated from 2009, and North Oldham was also named a Silver Award High School in 2008.

Click here to view Kentucky's Silver and Bronze High Schools.

The quality of Oldham County's schools is a key quality of life indicator for the overall county quality of life.  The Oldham County Board of Education faces financial challenges that impact teacher salaries, class sizes, and future student performance.  Superintendent of Schools Paul Upchurch addressed those challenges in a November 5 op-ed in the Oldham Era.

Challenges Face Oldham County Schools

The Oldham County Board of Education has established goals for Oldham County schools the past two years.  The District Goals and results are provided below.  The results may surprise many Oldham County citizens.

District Goals 2008-2009

District Goals 2009-2010

Click here for Kentucky's Property Tax Rates to Compare
Oldham County's Fiscal Court and School Taxes with Other Kentucky Counties

Oldham County Planning and Development Monthly Reports Available

The Oldham County Planning and Development Department has begun publishing monthly highlights of the department's activities.  The are available on the Oldham County Government website or you can download the reports below.  The reports provide updates and news and activity of interest for Oldham County citizens, to include  Planning Commission and building permitting activities and statistics. The reports also provide listings of upcoming planning and development related meetings.

January 2010 Report  February 2010 Report

May 2009 Report    June 2009 Report    July 2009 Report  August 2009 Report  September 2009 Report  November 2009 Report December 2009 Report

December 6, 2009

Residential Housing Permits Continue to Lag in 2009

The chart and data below are extracted from November's Planning and Development Monthly Report and reflects
the continued impact of the housing slow-down in the county.

July 20, 2009

Oldham Ahead Releases White Paper

Interest Group Contributions in the 2006 Oldham County, Kentucky
 Primary and General Elections for Local Offices

The 2006 primary and general elections for local offices in Oldham County, Kentucky were marked by the a significant increase of contributions from individuals and the candidates, as well as political action committee (PAC) contributions from home building interests, realtors, and even a labor union PAC.  Whereas prior to 2006, PAC contributions were largely limited to the county judge-executive race (as well as one school board candidate in 2002), PACs contributed a record amount of funds to several county magistrate and county attorney candidates during the 2006 primary and general elections.  Additionally, county races reflected a significant amount of contributions from individuals involved in the housing industry (builders, developers, realtors, suppliers, etc) that targeted specific races.

Election contribution data are available on-line at http://kref.state.ky.us/krefsearch.  A review of candidates running for county office prior to 2006 reveals that in general, most magistrate candidates self-financed their campaigns, while PACs and housing industry individuals targeted significant funding to their favored judge-executive candidates the last three election cycles.

Both the level of individual contributions and the introduction of PAC funding have changed the dynamics of county elections raising the contributions threshold for local office candidates.  Oldham Ahead believes that transparency of the contributions is important, as potential candidates for county office start positioning themselves for reelection or challenges for the 2010 elections.

Download, read, and pass along our White Paper.  We believe it is important that citizens and potential candidates for county level positions for the 2010 primary elections understand the dynamics of local office campaign funding and the roles interest groups have on local races, public policy, and local taxes.

October 28, 2009

New Three-Year Census Estimates Released for 2006-2008

The Census Bureau released the newest 3-year estimates for 2006-2008 from the American Community Survey on October 27, 2009. In September the Bureau released 1-year estimates from the 2008 ACS. If all of these releases are beginning to get confusing, here is a quick explanation.

The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey and is being released in three primary data sets; one-year estimates, three-year aggregate estimates and five-year aggregate estimates. The aggregated data over several years allows the Bureau to create estimates for geographies with smaller populations. The population thresholds are as follows:

1-year estimates are released annually for geographic areas with 65,000+ population.
3-year estimates are released annually for geographic areas with 20,000+ population.
5-year estimates will be released annually down to the Block Group level beginning in 2010. Block Groups vary in population but average around 1,500 people.

Download the Estimates

Social Characteristics
Economic Characteristics
Housing Characteristics
Demographic Characteristics
Narrative and Graphs

Quick Hits:  Oldham County News of Interest

Oldham Library Awarded Top Award for Sustainability (Courier-Journal, 3 June 2010)

Confederate Memorial Day to Honor Town's History (Courier-Journal, 2 June 2010)

School Board Tentatively Approves Budget (Courier-Journal, 2 June 2010)

Hocker Group to Guide Oldham Reserve Growth (Courier-Journal, 2 June 2010)

Schools to Buy Site for Bus Compound (Courier-Journal, 19 May 2010)

Sewer Rates May Increase 25 Percent (Courier-Journal, 19 May 2010)

Farmers, Artisans Sell on Saturdays in LaGrange (Courier-Journal, 19 May 2010)

Brownsboro Land Audit (Oldham Era, 13 May 2010)

Consultant Submits Tourism Suggestions (Courier-Journal, 28 April 2010)

Future Roads Plan Worries Neighbors (Courier-Journal, 28 April 2010)

Pony Club Team Wins Price Phillip Cup Mounted Games (Courier-Journal, 28 April 2010)

Oldham Political Candidates Talk Growth During Brownsboro Forum (Courier-Journal, 21 April 2010)

Oldham Water Company Launches $15.4 Upgrade (Oldham Era, 11 March 2010)

Local Officials Seek Hatch Act Opinion (Oldham Era, 11 March 2010)

Feds Asked to Rule on Gish Candidacy (Courier-Journal, 10 March 2010)

New Oldham History Book Debuts with Three Signings (RoundAbout, March 2010)

Oldham Chamber of Commerce and OCEDA to Merge (Courier-Journal, 3 March 2010)

Stormwater Management is Sued (Courier-Journal, 3 March 2010)

Book Tells History of Pewee Valley Confederate Home (Courier-Journal, 24 February 2010)

Premier Plantsman to Lecture at Yew Dell Gardens (RoundAbout, February 2010)

William Keller Founded Harrods Creek Baptist Church (Courier-Journal, 24 February 2010)

History Center Director Nancy Theiss' Book Tells Oldham River Tales (Courier-Journal, 24 February 2010)

Oldham County Maps and  Property Data Available On-Line (Courier-Journal, 24 February 2010)

Coyote Crossing (The Oldham Era, 18 February 2010)

Oldham County is Number Two Healthiest County in Kentucky (Business First, 17 February 2010)

County and LaGrange Say Oldham Reserve Worth the Risk (Courier-Journal, 1 January 2010)

LaGrange Weather Enthusiast Keeps Site Updated (Courier-Journal, 30 December 2009)

Stormwater District Plans to Reduce Rate (Courier-Journal, 23 December 2009)

Brentwood Construction Starts Despite Pending Lawsuit (Courier-Journal, 2 Dec 2009)

New Lights, Improved Sidewalks in LaGrange (Courier-Journal, 2 Dec 2009)

LaGrange Was a Growing Trade Center in the 1880's (Courier-Journal, 2 Dec 2009)

Oldham County Parks Plan Foundation (Courier-Journal, 1 Dec 2009)

Work Resumes on Harrods Creek Bridge (RoundAbout, December 2009)

LaGrange Prayer Trail Offers Quiet Haven (RoundAbout, November 2009)

Oldham County Saddle Club Forms (RoundAbout, November 2009)

Challenges Face Oldham County Schools (Oldham Era Op-Ed, November 5, 2009)

Oldham County Water District Proposes 28 Percent Increase (Oldham Era, 22 October 2009)

KIPDA Highway Plans Approved (Courier-Journal, 22 Oct 2009)

Westport Cabin Lovingly Rebuilt (Courier-Journal, 21 Oct 2009)

LaGrange Warehouse Remade for Events (Courier-Journal, 21 Oct 2009)

Oldham County History Center Hosting Lectures (Courier-Journal, 15 Oct 2009)

Fiscal Court May Look Into Business Incentives (Courier-Journal, 14 Oct 2009)

Oldham Sewer Refinancing (Courier-Journal, 14 Oct 2009)

Oldham Water Bills to Rise (Courier-Journal, 13 Oct 2009)

Paul Upchurch:  Continuing a Tradition of Excellence (Oldham Era, October 8, 2009)

Schools Have Action Plan to Improve CATS Scores (Courier-Journal, 30 September 2009)

Doug Wampler:  Question School District Like Any Tax Entity (Oldham Era, September 24, 2009)

District Rehires Dismissed Teachers (Courier-Journal, 2 September 2009)

Glenview Committee Developing Preservation Strategy (Courier-Journal, 2 September 2009)

Morgan Conservation Park has Room to Grow (Courier-Journal, August 26, 2009)

Schools Maintain Tax Rate (Oldham Era, August 27, 2009)

Learning Capacity Stretched in Oldham County Schools (Oldham Era, August 27, 2009)

June 24th 2009

 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Phase 1 of Commerce Parkway Bike and Pedestrian Trail

The ribbon-cutting/ground breaking ceremony for Phase 1 of the Commerce Parkway Bike and Pedestrian Trail  took place on Wednesday, June 24th at 5 p.m. on the Commerce Parkway trails near the intersection of Allen Lane and Commerce Parkway.   Greenways for Oldham County co-sponsor of the event.  

Phase 1 of the project is a 1.2 mile section from the vicinity of the Oldham 8 Plaza to Allen Lane along Commerce Parkway.  Phase 2 will extend the trail westward from Allen Lane to Hwy 393 in the Buckner Area and will result in a 3.2 mile safe, multiuse trail that will eventually connect LaGrange and Pewee Valley.

Phase 2 of the Commerce Parkway Trail has been funded and the contract bid awarded.  Work has commenced with a fall 2009 completion target date projected.

Oldham Ahead has supported the joint Oldham County, City of LaGrange, and Greenways for Oldham County effort to fund and construct this important quality of life enhancement to the county.

Visit www.OldhamGreenways.org to see what is happening with trails in Oldham County.

 Left:  A walker tries out the trail under construction on June 6, 2009

April 21, 2009

Oldham County Fiscal Court Approves County's First Area Master Plan

Brownsboro Plan Approved 7-0 with Amendments

The Oldham County Fiscal Court approved the Brownsboro Area Master Plan on Tuesday, April 21--nearly three years after the process to write the plan commenced.  The Oldham County Planning Commission approved the the county's first area master plan by a 13-1 vote on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.   Fiscal Court made several minor changes to the draft plan during the nearly three-hour hearing.

This plan is important not only to the residents of the Brownsboro area, but to the county as a whole as the area master plans allow citizens in sub-sectors of the county to develop their own area master plans. Master plans are to be more responsive to local needs and issues than the Comprehensive Plan. The master plan process allows citizens an active role in shaping the future of their communities.

In early 2006, the Planning and Development staff selected the Brownsboro area for the development of the initial county area master plan due to its past and future development trends and more importantly, the willingness of residents to actively participate in the process.

From its inception, the citizens and planning staff who were involved in the development of the plan have gone out of their way to ensure inclusiveness of the entire planning area’s residents. Residents were informed of the project and asked to participate. That meeting was well attended at the Brownsboro Community Center and resulted in the following vision for the Brownsboro area:

The Brownsboro Planning Area is a unique, environmentally sensitive, rural community with connected greenways, designated growth areas, well-planned infrastructure and design elements, all of which protect the Harrods Creek watershed and respect local character. The Brownsboro Planning Ares includes diverse housing, small businesses, farmland, equine activity, scenic views and village centers compatible with small town living.

Volunteers were solicited from the initial kick-off meeting to form a task force to develop goals and objectives to support the vision, and then to help write the content and develop recommendations for the county to consider to implement the plan. The task force comprised a mixture of 20 residents, business owners, developers, planning commission members, and fiscal court members. All meetings have been open to the public.

The task force focused on how to manage and shape growth and future redevelopment in the Brownsboro Village area in a way that respects the area’s character while accommodating future growth. Task Force members focused on alternatives that would lead to the increase of property values throughout the planning area, while ensuring property rights of residents are recognized and respected. 

The document that the Planning and Zoning Commission and Fiscal Court  approved provides guidance and direction for future growth of the Brownsboro planning area. It is not a regulatory document. 

The completed Brownsboro Area Master Plan is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and, upon adoption, will update it. The purpose of the plan is to describe a future vision for Brownsboro and to provide helpful information to reach that future. 

The plan introduces the concept of using various incentives to achieve the plan’s vision for the future. The incentives — primarily density bonuses — are suggested for incorporation into the subdivision regulations and zoning ordinance and are intended to ensure that landowners and/or developers retain and even gain housing density if they desire to implement suggested guidelines intended to maintain the rural character and land and housing values of the community. 

There are no provisions in the plan that precludes any rezoning and development as currently practiced in the county. The Brownsboro Plan does not change the current subdivision regulations and zoning ordinance. Recommendations from the plan are prescriptive, not regulatory, but can provide developers key insight into community values and attitudes to take into consideration when proposing new developments. 

Judge-Executive Duane Murner’s vision for Oldham County is that we must become, and strive to remain, the best rural/suburban county in the nation. Exceptional counties, and the great communities and neighborhoods within them, don’t just happen. Communities constantly grow and change, and we can ensure that these changes are positive through the plans we make today. 

The Brownsboro Area Master Plan matters to each and every citizen of Oldham County who wants to identify, preserve, and build on the positive qualities of their section or neighborhood of the county.   The approval of the plan sets the stage for citizens in the other seven areas defined by the County's Comprehensive Plan to begin their own area master planning process.

Upon publishing of a final, cleaned up copy by the Oldham County Planning and Development Department, we will post the final version on this site.

Read The Oldham Era's John Foster's Story from February 26

Read the Courier-Journal's Andrea Uhde's Story from March 4

Read why the plan is critical to the future of Oldham County

Download a Copy of the Final Plan

April 22, 2009

Kentucky State Data Center Releases Kentucky Population Projections

Population Projected to Double Between 2010 and 2050

The Kentucky State Data Center has published new state population projections on its website.  Kentucky Population Research produces projections of populations for the state of Kentucky, Area Development Districts, and Counties. Forecasts are revised periodically. Released in April 2009, these projections replace all previous forecasts, to include the last forecasts published in 2004.

The table below reflects Kentucky's and Oldham County's projected populations through 2050.  From a planning perspective, the county will be looking at a population of 100,000 by the year 2040 or so:  will it have the infrastructure in place necessary to accommodate the projected population and will the county have the means to ensure the high quality of life citizens will expect? 

Projections of Total Population: Oldham County, Kentucky
	Census	Estimates		Projections
	2000 (April 1)	2000   (July 1)	2005   (July 1)	2010    (July 1)	2015    (July 1)	2020    (July 1)	2025    (July 1)	2030    (July 1)	2035    (July 1)	2040    (July 1)	2045    (July 1)	2050    (July 1)
Oldham	46,178	46,978	52,744	59,271	66,126	73,469	81,279	88,862	96,055	102,910	109,641	116,279

 

Visit the Kentucky State Data Center Projections Page:

http://ksdc.louisville.edu/kpr/pro/projections.htm

Download Population Projection Excel Spreadsheets

Kentucky Population Projections
Kentucky Population Projections by Growth and Component of Change
Kentucky Population Projection by Age and Sex

February 4, 2009

2007 Census of Agriculture Released

Number of Oldham County Farms and Acreage in Farms Decline 4% from 2002

Results of the 2007 Census on Agriculture were released on February 4, 2009. 

The Census of Agriculture, taken every five years, is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. The Census looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures and many other areas.

The census of agriculture is the leading source of facts and statistics about the Nation’s agricultural production. It provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches every five years and is the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every State and county or county equivalent in the U.S.

The census definition of a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year.  The data are available online at www.nass.usda.gov or www.agcensus.usda.gov.

 

Oldham County acres in farms declined by an estimated 2,537 from 2002 to 2007, or four percent.  The number of farms also decreased by 4 percent, from 481 in 2002 to 461 in 2007.

Several thousand acres of land have been approved for development the past few years but are counted in land in farms until development actually begins.

The 2007 Census of Agriculture data for Oldham County reflect that the county ranks 62nd of 120 counties in the Commonwealth in the total value of agricultural products sold in 2007. 

Oldham County ranked 42nd in grain sales; 92nd in tobacco; 7th in nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod; 83rd in cattle and calves; 44th in milk from cows; and 6th in horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys.  Oldham County ranked first in bison sales in Kentucky.

The horses and ponies inventory totaled 2,838 as of December 31, 2007, which was 11th in Kentucky and 297th of 3,066 counties in the nation with equine inventories (top 10 percent nation-wide).  An estimated 8,319 cattle and calves were included in the 2007 Census for the county--81st in the state.  Thirteen farms recorded sales greater than $500,000 or more in 2007. 

A total of 176 individuals indicated that farming was their primary occupation, down from 247 in 2007.    The average age of principal operators was 58.2 was 2007, up from 56.9 in 2002.  

It is important that Oldham County elected officials and citizens recognize the economic value of the county's agricultural and equine industries.  The county's 461 farms contribute to the tax base while requiring minimal county and school services and provide the rural landscapes that Oldham County citizens value.

December 18, 2008

Spotlight on Oldham County Schools

Oldham County citizens place a significant amount of trust in the Oldham County school system and ask little in terms of oversight and accountability compared to Oldham County Fiscal Court.  However, like any government agency, scrutiny and oversight are essential to ensure taxpayers are receiving the most “bang for the buck”—a common term in the education field these day. 

The Board of Education approved the 2008/2009 formal working budget of nearly $103 million this fall with little public comment or notice.  Nearly $100 million in construction is on-going and the board submitted its facility plan to the Kentucky Department of Education for another $100 last spring.   The OCBE spends more in two months than the Fiscal Court spends annually.  Whereas even relatively small expenditures in Fiscal Court can generate receive debate and public input, multi-million dollar decisions receive little attention. 

How well are our schools performing against its goals and objectives?  Currently, one can not tell as performance data is not posted on the Oldham County Board of Education website.  On balance, the schools appear to still perform very well compared to other Kentucky peer schools.  However, when one looks more closely into data available on the Kentucky Department of Education website and other sources, one might conclude that the district is losing its "edge" compared to previous years. 

We've added to this site a significant amount of data from a variety of sources so that you can review and analyze the data and judge for yourself.

View School Data

2008 New Housing Building Permits Data

The charts below reflect the housing slowdown in Oldham County.  The total number of new housing permits issued for 2008 totaled 224, including 170 permitted single family detached homes.  The total number of permits dropped 115 from 2007, and 607 from 2003.  While the economy and gas prices are certainly factors in the decrease in building activity, speculative building, easy mortgages coupled with suspect appraisals, and increased commuting time to Louisville certainly are playing a role in the current housing decline. 

The chart below compares the number of housing units approved by the Oldham County Planning Commission, the number of building permits issued, and the annual percent change of Oldham County's population from 2000-2008.
(The percent change of population from 2007 to 2008 has not been released by the Census Bureau yet).  While the number of approved units and building permits have varied considerably since 2004, the annual population increase varied only slightly from year to year--generally about 2.5 percent per year.  This graph dramatically shows the excess housing units (compared to building permits and population growth) approved during the speculative building period between 2004 to 2007.  It appears that 2008 approved units (which includes 538 single family detached homes and 446 patio homes, townhomes and condos) will only increase the potential oversupply of housing units within Oldham County for several years in the future.

                   What's Happening Oldham County An Excellent Local Resource
                   of County Government, Non-Profit Organizations Information

  What's Happening Oldham County is provided to each county household twice a year.
  The publication includes contributed articles from Judge-Executive Duane Murner and County
  Government Departments; the Oldham County Board of Education; County Library;
  Health Department; and non-profit and for profit service providers in the county.

                                             Download Current and Previous Editions

                                                                                             Fall Winter 2009
                                                                                          Spring-Summer 2009
                                                                                              Fall-Winter 2008
                                                                                           Spring-Summer 2008
 

New American Community Survey (ACS) Data Available for Oldham County

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a new nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing. It is a critical element in the Census Bureau's reengineered decennial census program. The ACS collects information such as age, race, income, commute time to work, home value, veteran status, and other important data. As with the 2010 decennial census, information about individuals will remain confidential.

The ACS collects and produces population and housing information every year instead of every ten years. About three million housing unit addresses are selected annually, from across every county in the nation. Collecting data every year provides more up-to-date information throughout the decade about the U.S. population at the local community level.

Multiyear Estimates:  In 2008, the ACS released its first multiyear estimates based on ACS data collected from 2005 through 2007. These three-year estimates are available for geographic areas with a population of 20,000 or more, including the nation, all states and the District of Columbia, all congressional districts, approximately 1,800 counties, and 900 metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas, among others.  American Community Survey (ACS) estimates are period estimates that describe the average characteristics of population and housing over the entire period of data collection. ACS estimates give equal weight to each month in the data collection period. No month or year is given a preference. The 2007 ACS 1-year estimates are averages of the characteristics of an area over the period from January 2007 to December 2007 because this is the period of time for which sample data were collected.

Download data for Oldham County:

Selected Demographic Characteristics of Oldham County, 2005-2007
Selected Economic Characteristics of Oldham County, 2005-2007
Selected Housing Characteristics of Oldham County, 2005-2007
Population and Housing Narrative Profile of Oldham County, 2005-2007

 

Data Highlights

HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES: From 2005-2007 there were 19,000 households in Oldham County. The average household size was 2.7 people.

Families made up 81 percent of the households in Oldham County. This figure includes both married-couple families (69 percent) and other families (13 percent). Nonfamily households made up 19 percent of all households in Oldham County. Most of the nonfamily households were people living alone, but some were composed of people living in households in which no one was related to the householder.

GEOGRAPHIC MOBILITY: From 2005-2007, 85 percent of the people at least one year old living in Oldham County were living in the same residence one year earlier; 4 percent had moved during the past year from another residence in the same county, 8 percent from another county in the same state, 3 percent from another state, and less than 0.5 percent from abroad.

OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT CHARACTERISTICS: From 2005-2007, Oldham County had 19,000 occupied housing units - 16,000 (85 percent) owner occupied and 2,800 (15 percent) renter occupied. Four percent of the households did not have telephone service and 2 percent of the households did not have access to a car, truck, or van for private use. Multi Vehicle households were not rare. Forty-seven percent had two vehicles and another 31 percent had three or more.

HOUSING COSTS: The median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $1,524, nonmortgaged owners $408, and renters $675. Twenty-seven percent of owners with mortgages, 10 percent of owners without mortgages, and 36 percent of renters in Oldham County spent 30 percent or more of household income on housing.

TRAVEL TO WORK: Eighty-six percent of Oldham County workers drove to work alone from 2005-2007, 9 percent carpooled, 1 percent took public transportation, and 2 percent used other means. The remaining 3 percent worked at home. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 25.1 minutes to get to work.

INCOME: The median income of households in Oldham County was $70,615. Eighty-nine percent of the households received earnings and 20 percent received retirement income other than Social Security. Twenty-two percent of the households received Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $15,990. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Health Update:  Another Quality of Life Indicator

This 2007 Health of Kentucky report from the Kentucky Institute of Medicine provides objective data and resource information about risk factors and disease outcomes. This information is meant to assist officials and concerned citizens at the county level in assessing the health of their community and making decisions that will improve health. A county profi le and ranking was developed for each of Kentucky’s counties to focus attention on these critical factors at the state and county level. Each county profile contains 25 items which have equal weight in a ranking of 1 (best) to 120 (worst) as a measure of the county’s health status relative to the other counties. The most and least healthy counties in Kentucky, according to the county profi les, are presented in Tables I and II. The Health of Kentucky describes a process to help counties improve their health status and provides examples of communities which have undertaken health improvement activities.Guidance is provided for conducting local studies and surveys. The report also provides suggested community interventions, model programs, and resources related to each of the measures included in the individual county profiles.  Oldham County Synopsis Oldham County has the lowest health risks among all Kentucky counties based on measures for this study. The county has the highest percent of high school graduates, insured residents, and low rates of obesity and diabetes diagnoses. The county also ranks well in terms of oral health, motor vehicle deaths, cancer, and total deaths. Community leaders can work to maintain these favorable health conditions and improve others by encouraging healthy behaviors. While smoking and lung cancer deaths for Oldham County are less than the average rate for Kentucky, they remain substantially higher than U.S. rates. Oldham County also has breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer rates that are higher than rates for both Kentucky and the nation. Programs designed to encourage smokers to cut back with the goal of quitting combined with a strong effort to discourage youth from starting to smoke are actions that can help lower lung cancer and smoking-related deaths. Regular screening and early detection and treatment can reduce breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer deaths. Oldham County Leading Causes of Death, 2000-2003 Comparative Assessment 2007

November 12, 2008

Property Valuation Appeals Result in Assessment Reductions for Unsold Lots

Video Available

On June 20, 2008, the Oldham County Board of Assessment Appeals reduced the assessed value of approximately 340 undeveloped lots owned by developers or builders by 25 percent.  The board, comprised of three members, also reduced the valued of a vacant 12-acre commercial property by 60 percent and lowered the assessed valued of a lot on Rose Island Road by 44 percent.

A  group of local developers, including Bob Jones, Walt Schumm, Joe Pusateri and Jay Hall, appealed the Oldham County Property Valuation Office (PVA) assessments of about 340 vacant lots they own to the board.  This process is afforded to all property owners who disagree with the PVA assessment on their respective property.

Four property owners other than the developers contested assessments on vacant lots. Two saw their two lots’ assessment reduced, one saw her assessment maintained, and one saw his assessment on three lots double.  The board reduced values of about 340 vacant lots owned by the  developers – a blanket reduction of 25 percent.

In all, the developers’ assessments dropped by a combined total of more than $6.5 million, according to news reports.

Oldham County Property Valuation Administrator Ron Winters is appealing the changes to the state Board of Tax Appeals, which will consider arguments from Mr. Winters and the property owners.  Mr. Winters, according to news reports, called the decisions rendered by the board was arbitrary, standing by his original assessments.  The appeal is expected to take place early in 2009.

Each year, the PVA office reassesses the values of properties in one section of the county. The assessments are used to calculate property taxes. Property owners who feel their assessments are incorrect can take their concerns to the PVA office.  If no compromise is reached, property owners can go before the appeals board to adjudicate their case.

In an interview with the Oldham Era, Mr. Winters said the reduction means the developers will be shouldering a smaller share of the tax base and all other property owners in Oldham County will have to pay slightly more taxes for governments to make their required revenue. He is also concerned that every developer in the county will come to him next year and demand 25 percent off their assessment.  Mr. Winters, according to the article, believes his method of assessment is the most fair and accurate method.  He assesses a property’s value by looking at the sale price and looking at what similar lots in the subdivision have sold for.

 Mr. Winters’ position throughout the hearing was that his assessments adhere to the Kentucky Constitution, Section 172, as stated below. 

At issue during the hearing was a March 2008 memorandum from David Gordon, executive director of the Kentucky Office of property valuation, which outlined a variety of factors that can be used in assessing the value of vacant lots, including market conditions, profit margins, and developer costs.  Mr. Gordon explained the content and intent of his memorandum during the morning session in order for the Board to understand how the memorandum might be applied to the appeals to be heard later in the day.   

 While fielding a number of questions from Oldham County Attorney John Fendley, Mr. Winters, and the Board, Mr. Gordon consistently stated that Section 172 of the State Constitution does in fact apply.  The board was interested in defining a methodology, based on the memorandum, for the PVA to follow in determining the value of unsold development lots.

 The Oldham County Board of Assessment Appeals includes realtors Tom Cox and Herb Head and appraiser Rusty Davis.  Board members are appointed by Fiscal Court. 

Several of the developers cited high fuel costs and market conditions to justify their appeals.  Additionally, the developers argued that the fair cash value should be based upon costs, not the listed prices of lots that typically sell for less than the advertised price.

According to the Oldham Era, Mr. Cox said the board took into account market conditions and agreed the assessments were too high.  “There’s no question they were assessed too high,” he said.  He said developers’ records show they hadn’t sold many vacant lots in 2007.  “There is only one reason property will not sell,” Cox said, “and that is price.”  The Oldham Era reported that Mr. Cox said the board did not take into account developer costs or profitability — only what they thought the lots could sell for.

Moreover, according to the Oldham Era, as for the 25 percent reduction, that was somewhat arbitrary, Cox said. “There were just too many lots to assess each of them individually, he [Cox] said, and he [Cox] would have liked to see them reduced by more.”

 The Oldham County PVA disagreed with the ruling and is appealing the board’s decision to the state. 

Read the Oldham Era story by John Foster

Read the Courier-Journal story by Andrea Uhde

Oldham Ahead obtained a copy of the public hearing tapes through the Kentucky Open Records Act.  The tapes offer an interesting view in the appeals process; arguments on both sides of the issue; development costs and margins; and the current housing market conditions as perceived by those who appealed assessments. 

Also discussed was the potential impact on the values of lots and homes of occupied homes located in the subdivisions where the developers were appealing vacant lot assessments.  Several developers noted the need to protect the values of existing values of homes while several board members were concerned of the potential impact of the value of resident homes in the same subdivision where developers testified that the lot values had deteriorated to the extent that any offer would be considered.

Video, Part 1 reflects the board’s question of Mr. Gordon from the state PVA office and the appeals of Mr. Pusateri, and Mr. Schumm.  Viewers can contrast the roles of the two elected officials participating in the hearings.  The PVA is clearly basing his arguments as to the validity of his assessments on the state constitution’s guidance that the lots should be assessed at their fair cash values.   Those arguing for reduced assessments are relying on the interpretation of Mr. Gordon’s memorandum with respect to determining a fair cash value on unsold lots.

Video, Part 2 reflects appeals of River Glades LLC and Oldham County Developer Bob Jones begins his appeal by providing background to the board on his and the Kentucky Homebuilders Association role in developing the memorandum; the current state of the market, and other factors relating to his appeal.

Video, Part 3 continues Bob Jones’ appeal to the board.  Interesting discussions on margins; costs; and list prices versus assessed values.

Future Potential Impacts
A potential danger for county taxing authorities (county government, school board, fire districts, etc) which rely heavily on local property taxes is a significant across-the-board devaluation of property values, and a resulting reassessment of property values by the PVA based on mass appeals from the public.  The 2006 certified assessed value of all county residential property was $4.009 billion according to the Kentucky Department of Revenue.  While property values across the country have decreased by as much as 20 percent, a 10 percent across-the-board increase in Oldham County would result in $400 million less in assessed property.  The county government would realize a loss of $360,000 in revenues per year while the school board would absorb reduced revenues in the amount of $2.68 million per year if this scenario played out.  Because the PVA assesses individual residences in one part of the county at a time, this scenario is unlikely, but over time could occur.

Second, landowners may be at disadvantage in negotiating the sale of their land to developers based on the results of the appeals board.  As with housing values during the building boom since 2000, raw land prices has appreciated to the extent that asking prices are often in excess of $20,000 per acre with some land available for up to $50,000 per acre.  With a blanket 25 percent reduction of assessed values, developers are likely to argue that a similar reduction in the costs of raw land is in order as well.  The actual tax savings to the developers who appealed their vacant lot assessments are relatively small compared to the discounts they may now demand for raw land in the future, based on the Board of Assessment Appeals decisions.

Commentary
While price points and rising fuel costs are variables affecting lot and home sales in Oldham County, the impact of speculative building the past five or six years has created a significant oversupply of lots and new and existing homes on the market.  Since 1990, the percentage increase of the Oldham County population has remained within a relatively narrow range while building permit percentage changes and numeric values  have varied greatly.  The chart
below compares the percentage changes in population and building permits from 1991-2007.  The red line reflects the annual population percentage increase for the county while the blue line reflects building permit percentage changes.

                                     

Speculative building that far outpaced Oldham County's impressive  population increases, coupled with county growth policies and Fiscal Court decisions that are favorable to the development community contributed to both the building boom and decline.  The potential impact to residents' home values, level of county services, and level of county school performances may well pay the price for the lack of sound planning and execution the past
decade.   Read our fact sheet that examines the disconnect between Oldham County's population increase and building permits since 2000. 

Oldham County a State Leader in Land in Agricultural Districts with 11,651 Acres

4,051 Acres Added in 2008 following 3,901 Acres in 2007

Read the Courier-Journal Article from October 1

Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Economic Study:  $79 billion
Kentucky's Impact Most Likely Larger

Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Economic Impact Study Released:  Kentucky’s Ag and Forestry Impact may be Larger than Thought The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia released Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Economic Impact Study on September 24, 2008.  The study reveals that Virginia agriculture and forestry contribute about $79 billion annually to Virginia’s economy. Oldham Ahead believes that given the comparative sizes of Virginia’s and Kentucky’s agriculture industries, a similar study in Kentucky would reveal an even larger  Kentucky impact than Virginia’s.  Comparative data is provided in the chart to your right. The study reveals: -  The total agriculture and forestry related industry output in 2006 was almost $79 billion -  The total impact of agriculture-related industries was over $55 billion in total industry output and approximately 357,100 jobs -  The total employment impact is approximately 501,500 jobs, which makes up 10.3 percent of VA state employment -  Every job created in agriculture and forestry related industries results in another 1.5 jobs in the Virginia economy -  Every dollar generated in value-added results in another $1.75 value-added in the VA economy

Download the full impact study  Download the study in brief  Download a September 15, 2008 USDA Economic Research Service Fact Sheet:  Kentucky State Agriculture Fact Sheet Virginia State Agriculture Fact Sheet

New Update Highlights Oldham County Demographic and Economic Data

We have updated key Oldham County demographic, economic, housing, and agricultural data in a new presentation.

Download it now to see how Oldham County from a statistical point of view

Oldham Ahead Member Named to PACE Board

Nina Bonnie has been appointee by Governor Steve Beshear to serve as the 4th Congressional District
representative to the Kentucky Purchase of Agricultural Easements (PACE) Program

Federal Tax Incentives for Land Conservation

2007 Oldham County Population Estimates Released March 20, 2008:
Population as of July 1, 2007 Nearly 56,000

The Census Bureau released the 2007 County Population Estimates on March 20, 2008.  The estimated county population as of July 1, 2007 was 55,935.  Since the 2000 census, Oldham County has realized a gain of 9,757 people for an overall 21.1 percent increase.  The increase since July 1, 2000 (from which yearly estimate data are computed) is an estimated 8,954.  The data indicate that Oldham County is the 5th fastest growing county in Kentucky since the 2000 census in the percentage increase of population (21.1 percent) and is 8^th in net numeric increase (9,757 persons).              

Download and read our Fact Sheet