Politics season kicks off with first registration
Those of you who may be planning to run for a political office in Lawrence County have until January 9 to register, County Clerk Chris Jobe said this week after the ‘intent to run’ application of county attorney Johnny Osborne. Osborne will still need to register as a candidate the first to do was to file intent.
Locally, all county offices are up for grabs as well as three BOE members and city officials including mayor Harold Slone and six council members.
At this point there is little talk of new candidates, but long time county judge/exec. Phillip Carter will surely run again as well as all the magistrates who have served in the “Carter Court”.
Interestingly enough the four magistrates have made only one ‘nay’ vote in the seven years they’ve been in office so they are like a Carter “team” when it comes to running the court. Their biggest contribution has been to build a Fairgrounds and enhance it and purchase a site along Rt. 23 for a spec building for which there is no funding as of yet.
Speculation has it that Slone, a Democrat, may oppose Carter after two successful terms as Louisa mayor. So far Slone says he’s happy where he is (Salary up to $65,000 now) but the boy from Blaine has been mentioned in the judge’s position conversations on dinner tables throughout Lawrence County more and more of late…
Opposition for Jobe, PVA Chris Rose, Sheriff Chuck Jackson, Jailer Roger Jordan, Surveyor Cliff West, and Coroner Wes Heston is still to be seen with three months left before the filing deadline.
Carter, Jobe, Rose and Jackson all make over $100,000 per year so you might want to give running yourself a thought.
Local GOP chairman Todd Dunn has not issued any announcements concerning the Primary election. Dunn is a known Carter supporter but coming up with a complete ticket might be interrupted by some new faces interested in the $100,000 county-wide jobs and the $1,400 per month (plus $300 expenses mo.) magistrate positions with groceries so high and taxes and insurance inching up around taxpayers’ throats every year. Pretty good part time jobs, seems to me. What about some of you females?
A tax raise is a tax raise is a tax raise…
Supt. Katie Webb and the five elected school board members enacted a 4.1 % tax raise on the property owners of Lawrence County last month. Slowly inching towards a bigger and fatter treasure chest, the BOE passed the tax without opposition, so far, and the likelihood of a challenge is minimal because only .1% is recallable so the 4% is being added plus a little to spare — like it or not.
Chairman Jim See, himself a tax consultant in private business, has supported the failed nickel tax and later the failed double-nickle tax during his time on the board but he is 80 and nearing his last tenure. See and the four other BOE members, Garnett Skaggs, Madelynn Roberts, Barbara Robinson and Suzy Ward will have plenty of funding for the items they have planned like a new elementary school where the community center is now (Can’t wait to see the pick up lines) and other upgrades.
It will be interesting to see if they need to raise the tax another 4.1% next year.
Is it still overwhelming GOP in Lawrence County?
Secretary of State Michael Adams announced that voter registration grew in September, with Republicans now seeing the highest number of new registrations.
“After six months of Independents surging in voter registration, Republicans now show heightened interest in registration ahead of the May 2026 primary election,” Adams said.
In September, 3,976 voters were removed: 2,977 who were deceased, 472 who moved out of state, 418 felony convicts, 47 adjudged mentally incompetent, 24 who voluntarily de-registered, 22 duplicate registrations, and 16 non-citizens.
Republican registration now constitutes 48 percent of the electorate, with 1,590,260 voters. Republican registration jumped by 4,636 voters, a .29 percent increase. Democratic registration now accounts for 41 percent of the electorate, with 1,384,276 voters. Democratic registration fell by 3,354, a .24 percent decrease. There are 368,778 voters registered under other political affiliations (mostly independent), making up 11 percent of the electorate. “Other” registration rose by 2,372, a .64 percent increase.
In Lawrence County there are 12,272 registered voters including 4,337 Democrats, 6,900 Republicans and 1,035 “Other” (mostly Independents). That means a person running on the Independent ticket would need to get all the “other” vote and all the Democrat votes and still not come close to the GOP’s 6,900.
The ballot will be a whopper with federal and state officials also running this term. More later…
Electricity bills going up and up
If you’re on Ky. Power or one of the Co-ops in eastern Kentucky get ready for increases in your electricity bill as 15% has been bantered around by the power companies. But as usual they’ll “settle” for a 5% or 6% which is ridiculous given the profit margin of KP.
Seems they are making less $$ because the population is going down so they are charging the ones left the difference which includes a hefty raise for stockholders.
Ky. Power left Lawrence County out to dry years ago when the second smoke stack came down and natural gas replaced coal as the source of fuel at the plant. Never made sense to me and it makes even less sense now. Right in the center of still available coal reserves we’re paying more for power than those who live in cities.
As long as the Public Service Commission is a tool of the utility companies we will never get a break. What has always galled me was they got to raise their rates as the price of coal went up — automatically.
Can’t lose for BIG POWER and can’t win for the home or business owner in our area up and down the Big Sandy.
TidBites…
Lawrence County Tourism Commission – Kentucky
