By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
Poverty rates and fixed incomes were among concerns raised by citizens at a public hearing on Friday, Aug. 21 ahead of Barren County setting this year’s ad valorem property tax rate.
While no actual rate was stated at the hearing, the county has legally advertised a rate of 12.4 cents per $100 of assessed property, with a lower, compensating rate of 12 cents.
Earlier in August, the county’s Administration and Budget Committee recommended a 12.2 cent rate, which is the same rate the Barren County Fiscal Court approved for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
A compensating tax rate, when applied to the current year’s assessment of real property, excluding new property, will produce approximately the same amount of revenue as the amount produced in the previous year.
Any rate above the compensating rate requires a public hearing, and the rates considered are calculated by the Kentucky Department of Local Government.
Over the last ten years, the county’s property tax rate on existing property has dropped from 14.3 cents to 12.2 cents in 2025, Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said at the public hearing.
Sheila Steenbergen asked about increased tax rates as they relate to state property tax; however, officials explained that the hearing was for county-level tax rates and were unable to provide any answers.
Paula Pedigo said that Barren County has a 19.3-percent poverty rate, citing a study by the Barren River Area Development District, including 8,802 people living below the poverty level.
She said the current tax structure includes many taxing districts, such as ambulance, real estate, school tax rates, county real estate, extension real estate, library real estate, health real estate, the city, the volunteer fire department, and the state real estate tax.
“It’s pretty burdensome on our community,” Pedigo said.
Magistrate Tim Coomer interjected, “Can I ask you a question?”
Pedigo continued, “When you talk about lowering the rates, the assessments continue to go up, so the rate should go down. When the assessments go up, you bring in more money, even with the reduced rate.”
She requested a comparison study of properties in Barren County for the Property Valuation Administrator’s office to ensure assessments are consistent.
Pedigo also requested the “reduced rate” for the county to consider when setting the rate in September.
Coomer asked, “Of those people below the poverty rate, how many of them have property taxes?”
Pedigo said that information was not listed in the research. She noted a 19.4% food insecure rate and a 12% ambulatory difficulty rate, among other statistics.
Both Coomer and Byrd said the meeting was about property taxes.
“Right,” Pedigo responded. “Poverty ties into property and property taxes.”
Byrd noted the programs in the community aimed at helping address some of those issues, such as Feeding America, Community Relief Fund, and the local housing authority.
Magistrate Marty Kinslow said he could assume Pedigo would rather the county consider raising the property tax rate to help those individuals.
“I could make the assumption that you’re encouraging that we should raise the rates on property owners to help the poor,” Kinslow said. “Is that the stance you’re wanting to make, and if not, why did you bring it up? Why is it relevant?”
Pedigo said it was relevant due to the high level of poverty and increasing property value assessments.
Kinslow also interrupted Pedigo while she was speaking, “Property tax is levied against property owners, not the poor. You’re confusing the two, Ms. Pedigo.”
Pedigo, who continued speaking despite being interrupted, said, “You asked me a question. Please allow me to finish.”
Byrd said that the Property Value Administrator ’s office is required by law to do the assessments and property assessments are not within the purview of the county’s control.
Bob Miller asked if there were any exceptions to extend to those individuals on fixed incomes.
“Is there anything we can do for that?…Maybe forgive them on a certain amount [when] they reach a certain age?” Miller asked.
Byrd said any type of tax exemptions are controlled at the state level.
Coomer briefly discussed the Homestead Exemption. The exemption is available to qualifying homeowners age 65 and over, which reduces a home’s assessed taxable value and is currently set at $49,100 for the 2025-26 years. For example, a property assessed at $100,000 would be taxed based on a taxable value of $50,900 for a qualifying homeowner.
The next Barren County Fiscal Court meeting is scheduled for Sept. 1, at 9 a.m. in the Barren County Fiscal Courtroom, 117 N Public Sq. 3rd floor, Glasgow.
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