KRS 154.10-050: Secretary as chief executive officer -- Duties and responsibilities.

(1) The secretary shall be the chief executive officer of the Cabinet for Economic

Development and shall possess the professional qualifications appropriate for that

office as determined by the board.

(2) The board shall set the salary of the secretary and up to two (2) additional executive

officers of the cabinet as determined by the board, which shall be exempt from state

employee salary limitations as set forth in KRS 64.64 0. No executive officer of the

cabinet shall be paid a salary greater than that of the secretary.

(3) The secretary shall be responsible for the day -to-day operations of the cabinet and

shall report and submit on an annual basis implementation plans to the board as

provided in KRS 154.10-060; carry out policy and program directives of the board;

coordinate programs of the cabinet with all other agencies of state government

having economic development responsibilities; hire all other personnel of the

cabinet consistent with state law; and carry out all other duties and responsibilities

assigned by state law.

(4) The secretary shall prepare and submit the proposed budget of the cabinet to the

chairman who shall present it to the board for final approval. Upon approval, the

board shall submit the proposed budget to the Governor's Office for Policy and

Management.

(5) The secretary shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in

the performance of all assigned duties and responsibilities.

(6) The secretary shall give highest priority consideration in marketing, targeting, and

recruiting new businesses, in expanding existing businesses, and in recommending

state economic development loans, grants, and incentive programs administered by

the authority, to Kentucky counties which have had an average countywide rate of

unemployment of fifteen percent (15%) or greater in the most recent twelve (12)

consecutive months for which unemployment figures are available, on the basis of

the final unemploymen t figures calculated by the Department of Workforce

Development within the Education and Labor Cabinet.