Boyle County Fiscal Court held the first reading of its 2021-2022 budget during its meeting Tuesday.

The expected total revenue for the county is $55,692,792.86, which is nearly $7 million more from this fiscal year 2020-2021 budget, and more than $24 million than the 2019-2020 budget.

The total of budget expenses is $55,692,790.28.

The largest budget revenue increases from the upcoming budget compared to this year’s budget are set to come from:
• Business licenses ($250,000 compared to $0)

• Occupational Tax Collection Commission ($125,000 compared to $70,875

• Contractors license ($10,000 compared to $3,000)

• Recycle grant ($208,792 compared to $108,055)

• Recycling ($85,000 compared to $26,880)

• FEMA state reimbursement ($200,000 compared to $0)

The sharpest revenue declines are:
• Net profit taxes ( $250,000 compared to $580,000)

• Excess attorney fees ($15,000 compared to $40,000)

• Animal removal/open dump grant ($0 compared to $197,902)

• Court facility fees ($25,000 compared to $40,000)

The 2021-2022 budget also reflects a $30,000 carryover for Economic Development Partnership asset development and more than $1.3 million from CARES.

County Treasurer Keagan Hinkle voiced his frustration about having the budget in the magistrates’ hands later than he would have liked, which would have given them time to study the document before the first reading. “But information that affects the budget was given to me at the end of last week. … I couldn’t have given it to you any sooner.”

“I think I’m going to have to be a little more like my predecessor in the next one (budget cycle). I tried to be a little nice about this one and it kind of burnt me up a little bit.”

Hinkle added, “Call my cell phone and I will come and meet you. I will pick up my phone and do anything I need to do and go over the budget with you guys. I’m a little upset because things have been put on me at the last minute and… we just push stuff off constantly. If we need to make changes, or we need to do anything, please come and talk to me, please, I’m beggin you all.”

The magistrates can still make changes before the second reading of the budget in two weeks.

In other business:
• County Administrator Julie Wagner said, “The state is consolidating driver’s license locations (into) regional license offices. The judge and I are trying to get Danville as the designated region.” She added, “If we don’t get this, hypothetically, our citizens are going to have to drive to Somerset or Lexington,” to have their licenses renewed.

Judge-Executive Howard Hunt explained that the Kentucky Department of Transportation will be taking over issuing driver’s licenses because

“The AOC (Administrative Office of the Courts) and the court clerks across the state have said that it’s not the right agency to be in charge of driver’s license bureaus or the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles.)

Wagner and Hunt invited all of the magistrates to participate in a meeting Thursday afternoon when they would be making a case to the DOT for Boyle to be a regional driver’s license center.

“They’re hearing us out, that’s all we can ask for,” Hunt said.

• Reappointed Jim Boyd and Steven Griffith to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

• Appointed Lynn Tye to the Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau.