Fiscal Court Meeting – Gray Hawk Park Revitalization, Fairgrounds Advisory Board, and Old Jail Project

The Jackson County Fiscal Court met on Thursday April 9, 2026 for its regular monthly Fiscal Court meeting. The minutes for the previous meeting were read and approved.

Gray Hawk Park Revitalization
Judge Gabbard then recognized visitors from the Jackson County Wagon and Saddle Club. They discussed making improvements at Gray Hawk Park to accommodate more equine related events. David Hays has agreed to donate 3 acres of adjacent land to the Fiscal Court to help fulfil the needs associated with events of the Wagon and Saddle Club. Representative Tim Truett wrote in a support letter "Jackson County has a rich heritage rooted in agriculture and equine traditions. By revitalizing Gray Hawk Park and expanding our local capabilities, we aren't just building an arena; we are investing in an economic engine that will draw visitors from across the region, support local businesses, and provide a top-tier venue for our youth and families." The item to accept the 3 acres from Mr Hays was on the agenda and the Fiscal Court voted and approved the item.

Fairgrounds Advisory Committee
Discussions were then held about the Jackson County Fairgrounds Advisory committee taking over the oversight of improvements made to all Jackson County Parks. Representative Truett wrote "Central to this vision is my full endorsement of the Jackson County Fairgrounds Committee taking a leadership role in the management and oversight of our county parks system. Their proven track record of community service and operational excellence makes them the ideal body to:
Streamline Operations: Consolidating the management of Gray Hawk Park and other county facilities under the Committee ensures a focused, professional approach to maintenance and development.
Secure Vital Funding: A unified board is better positioned to apply for and receive state and federal grants, as well as private donations, to improve the infrastructure of all Jackson County parks.
Enhance Community Value: While the horse show complex is a flagship project, this initiative is designed to lift the tide for every recreational space in our county, ensuring safe and modern parks for all residents." This item was also on the agenda and was voted on and approved.
Old Jail Project
Judge Gabbard then recognized visitor Tal Jones with Focus. Mr Jones is working with SKED to assist the Fiscal Court with the Business Incubator Project at the Old Jail. The contract for Focus to be administrator for the grant was presented to the court which was voted on and approved.

Judge Gabbard then recognized visitor Eric Hubbard from Backroads of Appalachia. Mr Hubbard discussed updating the lease on the Big Hill Welcome Center to be able to sublease it to organizations interested in operating the center for the purpose of tourism and development. The organization that subleases will be responsible for obtaining general liability insurance to cover any event that is held there. The Court voted and approved to look at subleasing the welcome center to interested parties at the next meeting.

Judge Gabbard reported to the court on the proposed State Budget and how it might impact Jackson County. Judge Gabbard reported:
“Legislators finalized the state budget Wednesday before adjourning for the veto recess, sending the executive branch budget (HB 500), transportation cabinet budget (HB 501), judicial branch budget (HB 504), and the one-time funding bill (HB 900) to the Governor’s desk.
Because these are appropriation bills, Gov. Andy Beshear has the authority to issue line-item vetoes. Lawmakers will return April 14–15 for the final two days of session, when they may override any gubernatorial vetoes.
Reshaping the shared responsibility for county jails was KACo’s top priority this session; however, the final budget did not include significant increases in jail funding. The request was to increase the per diem by $4 per day per state inmate housed in county jails and increase support with medical costs but to my knowledge those increases were not approved in the state budget.
The General Assembly passed a one-time funding bill, HB 900, with funds from the state’s Budget Reserve Trust Fund. The bill includes $1.77 billion in one-time investments over the biennium.
Included in the bill is funding for many grant programs available to counties:
• $45 million each year for Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained Systems (KWWATERS) Program.
• $25 million each year for continuation of the Kentucky Product Development Initiative (KPDI).
• $50 million each year for the Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation (GRANT) fund.
The bill also includes one-time funding for multimodal transportation infrastructure, including $11.4 million in FY27 for general aviation airports and $15.1 million in FY27 and $14.5 million in FY28 for public riverports.
In my opinion, small County’s like ours will not see a lot of support from this budget. There are some programs that will benefit us, but it seems rural areas will have a lot of issues to deal with in the future that will be difficult to navigate.”

Magistrate Reports
The Magistrates discussed autopay issues associated with the trash billing services. The solid waste billing department is working with the software provider to fix these issues. Magistrate Vaughn requested that Wolf Pen Road and Hazel Branch Road be looked at for possible road slides coming into them. Magistrate Baker reported Bean Pole Bridge was finished and open. Magistrate Todd requested roadside mowing be started soon.

Sheriff Report
Sheriff Isaacs reported that 91 % of all county property tax bills have been collected. Any property tax bill that is still owed after April 15th will be turned over to the County Clerk as delinquent.

Jailer Report
Jailer Gabbard reported that work release was mowing 71 cemeteries throughout the county that had no caretakers over them. Work release is a big part of maintenance in many areas of the county. Gabbard also presented jail policies and procedures for approval. They were voted on and approved.
Other Agenda Items

The Court discussed the idea of selling the Kenny’s Restaurant property to the Library but they had previously voted to sell the property at public auction. The agenda item to sell to the library died for lack of approval.

The court discussed and approved an update to the Electrical Inspector List. The updated list includes Brett Williams, Wes Hacker, Calvin Saum II, and Todd Cobb.