Oldham County Vision Council
July 17, 2007
Oldham County Vision Council Provides Report to Oldham County Fiscal Court
Kevin Eldridge, Chairman of the Oldham County Vision Council, provided the council's report to Oldham County Fiscal Court on Tuesday, July 17. Appointed by Judge-Executive Duane Murner, the 20 person council was tasked to meet, gather information, solicit input from fellow citizens, and create a paper describing the vision of what Oldham County should be in four years. Mr. Eldridge, the former Chair of the Oldham County Planning and Zoning Commission provided the Court an overview presentation of the council's mission, its members, and findings. Extracts from the executive summary of the report are reflected below.
Vision
Our vision for Oldham County is very simple.
We must become, and strive to remain, the best rural/suburban county in Kentucky. By 2011, Oldham County has:
- A financially sound and well managed county government
- A spirit of cooperation, coordination, and communication among all government, private, and non-profit organizations
- A “managed growth” philosophy that provides adequate and efficient infrastructure and utilities; great schools; open spaces, greenways, trails and parks, and the continued high quality of life we enjoy as residents of the county
- A “lean” government that provides a safe environment for residents and families to live and prosper
To realize this vision, county government must operate within the following framework:
- We must experience efficiency, professionalism and integrity in the leadership and government of our county. Enhanced cooperation among all public entities, balanced budgets, and the wise utilization of our financial resources are a must.
- We must have a focused approach and one that is well planned in each aspect of managing our county. County government must set policy, encourage actions that are in keeping with that policy and march forward while avoiding intrusion on the areas that are best left to the private sector.
- Our school system must remain at the highest level possible.
- The rural character that remains must be maintained.
- We must accept that the county will experience growth but that growth must be managed to allow for a high quality of life our citizens expect with the very real fiscal constraints the county must operate within.
"We believe that the majority of Oldham County residents value the rural and suburban nature of the county and desire to preserve the delicate balance between future growth and the preservation of the county’s rural attributes. We should support and reward quality development that benefits the county.
Oldham County’s financial situation is serious. To maintain our existing budget without depleting our reserves, we must either raise revenues or continue to cut expenses. Any increases that might prove necessary should only be enacted after all other avenues have been exhausted and citizens fully informed. We have recommended guidelines for a budget reserve policy predicated upon the principal that Fiscal Court should not depend on the availability of a reserve to balance the annual budget.
We believe that the parks, open spaces, and greenways goals and objectives from the Oldham County Comprehensive Plan remain valid and the county should fully implement them. While we greatly value the accomplishments of our Oldham County utilities, we recommend that the county explore options to determine what framework can provide the services required at the greatest efficiencies and lowest cost.
Some common threads have emerged through all of the questions we addressed: Better planning, coordination, and communication are needed to effectively address future growth challenges and to realize the vision we present in this paper."
Oldham Ahead would like to thank all of the citizens who answered Judge-Executive's Murner's call to serve on the Vision Council. Judge Murner has established an ad hoc Fiscal Court committee, head by Deputy Judge-Executive Paula Gish to explore and act upon the Council's recommendations. Fiscal Court members serving on the committee include Magistrates Iva Davis, Steven Greenwell, and Steve Church. We ask you to contact your elected officials to express your views of the vision and recommendations offered, and urge Oldham County to answer the Vision Council's collective call for action.
Download the Vision Council Report to Fiscal Court
Download Kevin Eldridge's Presentation to Fiscal Court
Download the Oldham Era's Story by John Foster
Download the Courier-Journal's Story by Andrea Uhde
Download the RoundAbout's Story by Helen McKinney
Download the August 29 Courier-Journal Story on the County's Reserve Policy
