Meeting of August 25, 2026
Fiscal Court Meeting - August 25, 2026 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Hardin County Fiscal Court – August 25, 2026
The court opened with routine business, approving minutes from the August 11th meeting before hearing informational presentations. The Sheriff's Office presented its annual tax settlement, reporting about $94 million collected across all taxing districts with a collection rate of over 99%, along with a monthly activity report covering arrests, citations, and transports.
The County Clerk presented on the delinquent tax sale, which cleared over $381,000 for local taxing districts, and gave the monthly fees and commissions report showing the office remains under budget. He also announced a new early voting location at Nolin RECC for the upcoming November 3rd election, expected to increase early voting capacity by 50%.
The court took up two ordinances: the first reading of a zoning ordinance text amendment (addressing definitions, zoning map amendment process, and other procedural sections), and the second reading and adoption of a $12 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget amendment, largely related to EMS cardiac monitors and a road-paving grant. Both passed unanimously.
A lengthy consent agenda covering financial resolutions, a litter abatement grant, an EMS collection services contract renewal, detention center restraint policy updates, road resurfacing funds, a texting/communication software contract, personnel changes, a procurement code update raising the no-bid purchase threshold to $50,000, and a new donation account for veteran-themed ambulance wraps was approved 7-1, with Magistrate Saltzman voting no due to objection to a specific claim, while expressing support for the veterans' ambulance wrap program.
During comments, the County Clerk addressed recent news stories about voter registration confusion near the Hardin-Jefferson County border, clarifying that 11 voters mistakenly assigned to Hardin County actually live in and are eligible to vote in Jefferson County due to a zip code mix-up. Magistrate Yates raised concerns about inaccurate information being sent out via county communications channels for the second time in a month. Several magistrates announced upcoming committee meetings, community events including two car shows, and reminded residents of the Labor Day holiday closure before the meeting was adjourned.
Agenda (10)
- 7:33
Approval of August 11, 2026 minutes
The court voted to approve the minutes from the previous fiscal court meeting.
- 8:03
Tax settlement presentation
Sheriff's office presented the annual tax settlement showing about $94 million collected for all taxing districts with a 99% collection rate, for informational purposes to allow the judge to sign off on future tax collection.
- 9:58
Sheriff's office monthly report
A report covering law enforcement activity for June/July including arrests, citations, warrants, accidents, school safety checks, and court transports was presented in the absence of John Ward.
- 11:09
County Clerk report
County Clerk Brian Smith reported on the delinquent tax sale clearing over $381,000, the July fees and commissions report, and plans for a new early voting location at Nolin RECC for the November 3rd election.
- 14:53
Citizens concerns and comments
No citizens came forward with comments or concerns.
- 15:11
First reading of zoning ordinance amendment #5 (Ordinance 269, series 2009)
A text amendment addressing definitions, zoning map amendment process, board of adjustment powers, and procedures for nonlisted uses was introduced for first reading; second reading to follow in September.
- 16:56
Second reading and adoption of budget amendment Ordinance 347
A roughly $12 million fiscal year 2026-27 budget amendment, mostly for EMS cardiac monitors ($900,000) and rubber modified asphalt grant funds ($160,000), was adopted.
- 17:57
Consent agenda items
A large consent agenda including financial resolutions, litter abatement grant, EMS contract renewal, detention center policy update, road resurfacing funds, texting software agreement, personnel resolutions, procurement code update, and veteran ambulance wrap donation account was reviewed.
- 22:52
Magistrate and county attorney comments
Magistrates and the fill-in county attorney gave updates including a statement clarifying voter registration confusion near the Jefferson County border, concerns about inaccurate county communications, and announcements of upcoming committee meetings and community events.
- 28:57
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned after a motion and second with no objections.
Motions & votes (5)
- 7:37
passedApprove the August 11, 2026 fiscal court meeting minutes
unanimous except Thompson abstained
- 16:05
passedApprove first reading of zoning ordinance text amendment number 5 (Ordinance 269, series 2009)
seconded by Pennington · unanimous, all yes
- 17:26
passedApprove second reading and adoption of budget amendment Ordinance 347 (fiscal year 2026-27)
unanimous, all yes
- 22:23
passedApprove the consent agenda items including resolutions 135-145 and committee meeting minutes
7-1, Saltzman opposed
- 28:57
passedAdjourn the meeting
Transcript (23 segments)
- 0:29
The Harden County Fiscal Court live stream will begin momentarily. The Harden County Fiscal Court live stream will begin momentarily. The Harden County Fiscal Court live
- 1:55
stream will begin momentarily. The Harden County Fiscal Court live stream will begin momentarily. The Harden County Fiscal Court live
- 3:18
stream will begin momentarily. The Harden County Fiscal Court live stream will begin momentarily. Thompson,
- 5:08
please pray with me. Heavenly Father, we come praising your holy name and thanking you for the many blessings that you have so richly bestowed upon us as a nation. Father, Father, we just ask forgiveness where we fail you. Father, I pray for the the men and women uh who protect and serve us as well as their families that you give them comfort, give them safety. Father, it sometimes seems like that we have as a nations have lost their way. And Father, I just pray for the return of common sense and civility across our nation. And father, I pray today for our meeting we make good decisions benefit our citizens, Father, and be mindful of their concerns at all times, Father, and um be responsive to the needs of this community. We thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen. You join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
- 6:20
justice for all. — Again, thanks everyone for joining today. Appreciate you being here. It's great to see all of you and those of course watching on TV or streaming. Uh we'll review the agenda uh today. Um pretty basic agenda. We have our uh fiscal court meeting minutes from the last meeting that we'll vote on and approve. Uh we'll have a tax settlement presentation by our sheriff's office and then uh some other another presentation by the sheriff's office and our clerk a little bit right after that. Moving on down to citizens concerns and comments if anybody has any of those would like to bring forward. Then we have two ordinances that we'll vote on and then move to the consent agenda and have several items in there that uh I'll go over when when the time comes. then we'll end up as usual with any comments and then we'll adjourn. Okay. So, that's that's their agenda today. Uh we'll move on then to approve the Harden County Fiscal Court August 11th, 2026 minutes.
- 7:35
Need a motion to approve. So moved. — Second. — Moved and seconded. Any discussion? — Hearing none. Roll call. — Square Clim. — Yes. — Square Hicks. — Yes. — Square Muse. — Yes. — Square Pennington. Yes, — Saltzman. — Yes, — Squire Thompson. — Abstain Yates. — Yes. — Judge Tall. — Yes. Motion passes. All right. Next, we have uh anformational item here and have tax settlement. Uh Harden County Sheriff, I think Terry Bennett, is going to make that presentation. — I think you all have got the tax settlement in your packet. It's um it's forformational purposes so that we can get a signature from the judge to allow us to start collecting taxes for next year and to start processing tax rates and things of that nature. Um you can see on here that we collected about $94 million uh for the all the taxing districts and about 11,282 was for the county. And if you go on down here, you'll see Common School, the
- 8:47
school district was at 60 million, Etown School District, 8 million, and on down through the line. Um, our total tax collection rate was about a little over 99%. Um, so if any anyone has any questions, I'll be glad to entertain those. And by the way, good afternoon. I don't think I told any of you good afternoon. — Good afternoon. Right down to business. All right. All right. Thank you. — Thank you. — Appreciate it. — I guess I just stay up here for the next one. Is that right? — Yeah. If you're the presenter, go right ahead. — Okay. As you can see, John Ward is not here this afternoon. He is on assignment with his daughter uh who is attending her second year of college at Danville. So, he has um a little important uh agenda going on this afternoon. So, I do have his report for you and get to it. Law enforcement for Junior July, we had 127 arrests, 156 citations,
- 9:58
119 warrants. Civil, we had 1020 complaint calls, we had 1359. We worked 58 accident and had 54 criminal cases. We had 43 school safety checks, 79 violation warnings and 2329 attempts to serve. In June July, we had 116 uh records checks, 115 CCDWs, and 1326 vehicle inspections that we did. And then on the final page, court transportation. We had 98 uh adult transports and six juvenile transports. So this concludes this report. If you should have any questions. — Well, thank you for the report. — Thank you, sir. — Thanks. — Thank you. — All right. Next up is our county clerk, Brian Smith. — Good evening. Good evening. — We'll just go straight to the delinquent