You Decide, Kentucky! Leads Roundtable Dialogue in Somerset Region to Build Support and Consensus on Local Revenue Diversification and Economic Growth GalleryYou Decide, Kentucky! Leads Roundtable Dialogue in Somerset Region to Build Support and Consensus on Local Revenue Diversification and Economic Growth
You Decide, Kentucky! Leads Roundtable Dialogue in Somerset Region to Build Support and Consensus on Local Revenue Diversification and Economic Growth
In a concerted effort to foster collaboration and cultivate a shared vision for the future, You Decide, Kentucky! (YDK!) was hosted by Somserset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) to orchestrate an intimate roundtable-style dialogue last week to discuss local revenue needs and proposed changes, bringing together influential regional leaders and elected officials. Held on Monday, July 17th, the purposeful session centered around the crucial topics of local revenue diversification and economic growth, with a focus on building support and consensus among key stakeholders. The closed-door gathering provided an opportunity for a select group of leaders from around the region to engage [...]
YDK! receives endorsement from the Lake Barkley Partnership
You Decide, Kentucky! (YDK!) has received an endorsement of support from the West Kentucky economic development coalition, the Lake Barkley Partnership. Amanda Davenport, Executive Director of the Partnership, shared on behalf of the organization’s Board of Directors: “As a regional economic development agency we firmly believe that empowering local governments and residents with the ability to issue local tax reforms will greatly benefit our communities and lead to positive change across the state.” YDK! is immensely grateful for this support. With its focus in Crittenden, Caldwell, Livingston, and Lyon Counties, the Partnership has a keen grasp on the economic [...]
Kentucky State and Local Taxes: A Beginner’s Guide
Understanding state and local taxes in Kentucky can be confusing for those who have never had to deal with them before. Distilling the complex codes, jurisdictions, and requirements is complex. This guide will provide a 101 overview of each of Kentucky’s taxes and explain how they work. There are four types of state and local taxes in Kentucky: income tax, occupational tax, city tax, and county tax. Aside from the standard income and sales taxes, there are also a number of other taxes, such as transient room tax, gas tax, and alcohol tax, that vary by jurisdiction. Of these, the [...]
Not just the Golden Triangle: How rural communities would benefit from revenue diversification
As Kentucky residents, we all depend on our local governments to provide essential services and infrastructure that support our communities. From road maintenance to emergency services, these services are critical to our everyday lives. However, providing these services can be costly, and local governments must explore modernized revenue-generating tax options to ensure and determine their own sustainability and growth. Having diverse and modernized revenue-generating options for local governments would be a benefit across Kentucky - and not just our larger communities.Kentucky’s constitution restricts the elected lawmakers of the General Assembly from delegating flexible revenue-generating options to our local communities. These [...]
What is ‘local revenue diversification,’ anyway?
The Kentucky Legislative session gaveled in earlier this month and one of the big topics that is being discussed, yet again, is local revenue diversification. We know that revenue is the lifeblood of any local government. It’s how communities' needs can be met and growth can be supported. So what is local revenue diversification, anyway? Revenue is the lifeblood of any local government. Flexibility in how that revenue is generated and used is essential to supporting growth and meeting the needs of the community. A buzzword of sorts in Kentucky for decades, revenue diversification communicates the chronic issue of local [...]
You Decide, Kentucky! Road Show spans state to spread message, hits Northern Kentucky for tenth stop in six months
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 17, 2023 You Decide, Kentucky! Road Show spans state to spread message, hits Northern Kentucky for tenth stop in six months Louisville, Ky. — You Decide, Kentucky! (YDK!), the statewide initiative that supports modernizing the Kentucky Constitution to give the General Assembly the authority to implement revenue diversification at the local level, will hit double digits this month of stops in their event series around the Commonwealth, launched in September. The organization launched in 2020, and in September 2022 Lena Muldoon was hired as its first full-time Executive Director. That same month the [...]
