Local government leaders Henderson Mayor Brad Staton and Henderson County Judge-Executive Brad Schneider shared notable developments from the past year, as well as some things percolating for the future, at the Henderson Chamber of Commerce State of the City/County Luncheon on July 24 at One Life Church.
State of the City
Noting a “significant resurgence” in downtown commerce and a large number of housing starts, Staton used an over-arching theme about Henderson being “a place where dreams come true” to share highlights of the city’s past and current years.
Here are a few of the things he noted:
- Staton said the city staff has gone through a stretch of retirements from leadership positions since he took the reins as mayor, and in addition to new City Manager Dylan Ward there are new employees managing human resources, finance, the fire department, the police department, city clerk’s office, parks and recreation and public relations.
“It’s nice to see everybody grow together as a team,” he said. - A new 27,000-square-foot Fire Station 1 is under construction on Second Street and is expected to be operational by the beginning of 2027.
- Contractors for bridge replacement projects on Clay Street and Airline Road are predicting that these thoroughfares will reopen for the start of this school year.
- I-69: Final touches are being put on the Outer Second Street roundabouts, and motorists can now expect fewer lane closures than those that have been in place while school traffic has been on summer hiatus. The interchange at U.S. 60 will be available in mid-fall, so motorists will be able to take that route to reach U.S. 60-East. I-69 Section 2 (the approach to the new bridge between U.S. 60 and the Ohio River) will start next year.
- A $1 million-partnership with Habitat for Humanity was announced in June intended to eliminate blighted properties and create more opportunities for affordable housing.
- In the area of public safety, he talked about an expansion of the Flock camera system to add seven additional cameras in the inner city, a partnership with installing residential doorbell cameras and the HERO Program that provides no-cost housing for an entry-level police officer living in the neighborhood.
- Also in the inner city, there’s a five-year tax moratorium on certain buildings targeted for business development, and a block of properties on Letcher Street that were once the site of a thriving commercial district are targeted for redesign and development.
- The Wathen Lane construction project that began in March 2024 has a scheduled completion of mid- to late-August. The project is widening Wathen Lane, installing waterlines, building curb and gutters and adding an 8-foot multi-use path.
- Deaconess Henderson SportsPlex is off to a good start since opening in March and has 16 tournaments scheduled for 2026.
- U.S. 41 improvements that are in progress include resurfacing the driving lanes from near the cloverleaf to the state line.
- Sidewalks are being installed along Green River Road near Bend Gate Elementary to create a safer walking path.
- The city is currently in the second year of a five-year plan to increase the road maintenance budget. “We don’t want to fall behind (on our street maintenance),” Staton said.
- The second phase of the 300-plus home Jagoe development behind Walmart may begin earlier than expected, and the Elevate project to complete 48 housing units for citizens with disabilities is under way.
- With a $2.7 million stake from the city and $2.5 million from Henderson County Government, a $17 million-project to build a conference center at Audubon State Park (along with a new entrance road) is on the drawing board. Staton expects a groundbreaking next summer and a 1 ½-year buildout.
- The new downtown distillery under construction, Rhythm River, is planning a pre-opening release in August and could possibly be open for business by the end of the year.
- A master plan for Parks and Recreation should be ready by the end of October. Meanwhile, public restroom renovations and an overhaul at Anthony Brooks Park (including a splash pad) are already in the works.
“We really do believe Henderson is a place where dreams come true,” the mayor said. “Don’t be afraid to dream big.”
State of the County
County Judge-Executive Schneider opened his portion of the program with a short video that provided a look behind-the-scenes.
It featured the work of an animal control officer, a road supervisor’s clean-up work following a major spring flood, the emergency management office during a stretch early this year that brought an ice storm, major flooding, severe thunderstorms/hail and more major flooding and the collaboration it takes to complete economic development efforts.
Despite the challenges delivered by Mother Nature this year, Schneider said the county is in good shape and has a lot of strong people keeping it that way.
“(The video) highlights people who work on the front lines for and with county government,” he said. “They’re much more interesting and entertaining than a policy speech (from me).
“It’s because of them, and the hard work of our other team members, that we can repeat again that the state of our county is strong,” Schneider added. “We continue to see growing opportunities, new growth, more capital investments and optimism both in the city and in the county even as we have dealt with natural disasters, political unrest, in Washington shifting economies and debates here at home that have been a little divisive. We believe that Henderson County government has played a significant role in that progress.”
He took a few minutes to point out some key moments. - Economic development efforts continue to notch wins, he said. A ribbon cutting just took place at the Henderson County Mine. It will eventually add 240 new jobs for a total of 400 jobs leading to a $300 million local economic impact every year. Tyson Foods, one of the county’s largest employers, just announced a $23.5 million investment in its plant here, adding to the $1 billion private and public investments happening county-wide currently.
- Major multimillion dollars improvements are taking place at the Henderson County Airport and the Henderson County Riverport.
- More than $1 million budgeted for county road maintenance and 14 new miles were paved, upgrading some from gravel to asphalt for the first time.
- Building the first permanent restrooms at Sandy Lee Watkins Park.
- Henderson County Water District is in the midst of $1.5 million of upgrades to solve major leak problems; more funds will be devoted to that project in the future.
- Budgeted $400,000 to help with a grain bin training facility to help first responders learn how to better respond to emergencies.
- Will contribute to an upgrade in 911 dispatch center technology.
- Will partner with Habitat for Humanity of Henderson to build the first home outside of Henderson city limits in recent memory.
- Will soon decide about the possible expansion of Henderson County Detention Center.
- Compass Municipal Advisors, a public finance firm, has said that Henderson County is in the top 10 percent of counties in all of Kentucky for financial strength and in the top 1 percent among peer counties (of similar size). Due to that and other factors, Schneider said in the coming months fiscal court will take a hard look at cutting the insurance premium tax in half, resulting in an estimated savings of $2 million for taxpayers starting with the next fiscal year.
- The judge acknowledged sometimes vocal recent discussions about wind and other green energy projects and said that county government has one goal — to make sure ultimate decisions about such projects come about through a fair process. He said citizens’ feelings and opinions need to be considered.
Schneider ended his remarks talking about natural disasters that have challenged the county in recent months, particularly the spring flood that was the highest experienced since 1997.
“The flood showed me the best in us. The true Henderson County,” he said. “Neighbors helping neighbors. Strangers coming to the aid of those in need.”
He named individuals, first responders, county workers and many organizations who pitched in to help.
“The spirit of community that I saw, that concern for others and the willingness to help give those who were experiencing their worst day the hope that there are better days to come, that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I so firmly believe that the state of Henderson County is strong,” Schneider said.
