By: Lance Gaither
During the Friday Business at Noon Joint Luncheon, Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor delivered the state of the county address.
Judge Executive Taylor spoke about the drug epidemic and the crime around it and talked about Madison County’s steps it will take in the future. He wants to have a healing center built to help addicts get clean and find employment rather than incarcerating them but wants to put harsher penalties for the dealers and cartels behind the epidemic. In addition to working on the drug epidemic, he wants to expand the jail the help solve the overcrowding issues that it is experiencing. He also stated that building the healing center will reduce the number of people incarcerated in the jail.
He also spoke about fixing the infrastructure and roads in Madison County. He stated that his team is working with the Transportation Cabinet to repair Exit 95, improving the park system and trying to merge services in Richmond and Berea. He is starting programs to work along side EKU for a variety of partnerships including the Airport Board.
Another thing he addressed was the Bluegrass Army Depot and CSEPP funding running out. He stated that Madison County needs to improve funding for emergency services such as emergency radios and towers.
He also stated that taxes will need to be raised to fix the issues he talked about but went onto say that the benefits from these programs will be worth the cost.
