Magistrates and commissioners make up KACo’s largest affiliate group, and they play a vital role within the fiscal court that serves as the legislative body of counties.

The Kentucky Constitution requires that each county have a fiscal court composed of the county judge/executive and three to eight magistrates or three commissioners. Magistrates are elected from districts within the county while commissioners are elected from the county-at-large.

Magistrates and commissioners set policy at the local level to address the needs specific to their county by enacting ordinances and resolutions.

One of the most important responsibilities of the fiscal court is to enact the county budget and manage the financial affairs of the county. Within this responsibility, the fiscal court sets tax rates and can issue debt.

Fiscal courts may enact ordinances to carry out other public functions including animal control, public sanitation, provision of public health services, planning and zoning, promotion of economic development, etc.

Kentucky counties that have commissioners instead of magistrates:

• Bath
• Boone
• Boyd
• Campbell
• Daviess
• Graves
• Greenup
• Johnson
• Kenton
• Marshall
• Mason
• McCracken
• Montgomery
• Pike

Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association