Published: September 26, 2008 10:28 pm      

County shines among struggling state

Despite a falling economy on the state and federal level, Madison County remains one of the most fortunate counties in the state.

That was the theme among speakers Friday at the Berea and Richmond Chamber of Commerce Joint Membership Meeting at the Madison County Extension Office.

Guest speakers featured Sen. Ed Worley, D-34th District; Rep. Harry Moberly, D-81st District; and Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-36th District.

Each spoke to a full house about the cooperation between Richmond, Berea and Madison County governments, which they said has aided the county in standing above the rest in the state when it comes to state and federal funding.

“As we were stopping to look at the construction activities in Madison County, we are doing much, much better than most counties throughout the state and are certainly doing better than a number of cities all across America,” Worley said.

He mentioned several projects going on in the county, including the Duncannon Road interchange, construction of a Berea Bypass, the widening of US 25 and others.

“We are very, very fortunate people,” Worley said. “I’m pleased with the condition we’re in, even though it is tough. If you’re a realtor, it’s tough out there, if you’re in the construction business as I am, it’s tough out there. But, if you look at the conditions we are in compared to other places around the state, we’re doing extraordinarily well. The investments that we have made have been because of solid planning.”

The weak conditions of the state and federal government are no reason to give up on pursuing much-needed projects, Moberly said.

“It’s up to us,” he said. “We have some of the best local officials in the state. By working as a team, we’re able to get the best advantage that we can from the government. We must continue working with the local chambers and local private businesses. We must be more self-sufficient in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We cannot spend as much, but we have to think creatively out of the box.”

Even though the three legislators are not consistent in party affiliation, their efforts to work together still remain a top priority, Napier said.

“We don’t let politics get into it,” he said. “When we became a member of the General Assembly and were sworn into office, all that was gone.”



Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.