We love getting out of the office and into our counties.
Every year, after the intensity of the legislative session subsides, KACo Executive Director Jim Henderson and the KACo advocacy team travel across the state, meeting with county officials to hear directly about issues affecting their communities. Using the area development district offices as a central meeting location, the KACo Listening Tour makes 15 stops spanning the Commonwealth.
This summer, more than 200 county officials and staff participated in these sessions. While they are open for any topic of county discussion, the conversation typically includes proposed legislative and regulatory changes.
Topics this year included jail funding; road funding; housing challenges; water and sewer issues; workforce shortages and “wageflation”; EMS staffing and costs; revenue options; property tax and more.
Additionally, county officials expressed sincere gratitude for a successful 2024 legislative session and the unprecedented amount of funding the General Assembly allocated to counties.
We want to thank all of you who joined us for the KACo Listening Tour. Your input is critical to lead our team in preparing for the 2025 legislative session.
If you were unable to make a tour stop and have ideas on how KACo can better serve your county, please reach out to us by emailing shellie.hampton@kaco.org or gracie.kelly@kaco.org.
