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Kentucky · Snapshot 09/05/2026

KRS 65.192: Alternate method of creating a taxing district in counties containing a

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. KRS Chapter 65

consolidated local government or a city of the first class.

In counties containing a consolidated local government or city of the first class, the

following method of creating a ta xing district shall be an alternative to KRS 65.182 to

65.190:

(1) Persons desiring to form a taxing district shall present a petition to the fiscal court

clerk or clerk of the legislative council of a consolidated local government and to

each member of th e fiscal court or consolidated local government council,

requesting that the question of establishing the special district be placed upon the

ballot for the next general election. The petition shall be signed by at least one

hundred (100) registered voters from each senatorial district, contained wholly or

partially within the proposed taxing district. If one hundred (100) registered voters

do not reside within a senatorial district and within the boundaries of the proposed

taxing district, then the petitio n shall be signed by twenty -five percent (25%) of the

registered voters within said senatorial district. At the time of its submission to the

fiscal court or consolidated local government council each petition shall be

accompanied by a plan of service, sho wing such of the following as may be

germane to the purposes for which the taxing district is being formed:

(a) The statutory authority under which the district is created and under which the

taxing district will operate;

(b) The method of creating and appointing the governing body of such district if it

is to be different from the general statutory authority under which it will

operate;

(c) Demographic characteristics of the area, including but not limited to

population, density, projected growth, and assessed valuation;

(d) A description of the service area, including but not limited to the population to

be served, a metes and bounds description of the area of the proposed taxing

district, the anticipated date of beginning service, the nature and extent of the

proposed service, the projected effect of providing service on the social and

economic growth of the area, and projected growth in service demand or need;

(e) A three (3) year projection of cost versus revenue and the method chosen for

raising such revenues as authorized in this section;

(f) Justification for formation of the taxing district, including but not limited to

the location of nearby governmental and nongovernmental providers of like

services; and

(g) Any additional information such as land u se plans, existing land uses,

drainage patterns, health problems, and other similar analyses which bear on

the necessity and means of providing the proposed service.

(2) The fiscal court clerk or the clerk of the legislative council of a consolidated local

government shall notify all planning commissions, cities, and area development

districts within whose jurisdiction the proposed service area is located and any state

agencies required by law to be notified of the proposal for the creation of the taxing

district.

(3) The fiscal court clerk or the clerk of the legislative council of a consolidated local

government shall review the petition, and if the fiscal court or consolidated local

government council determines that the signatures are valid, the fiscal c ourt or

consolidated local government council shall schedule a hearing on the proposal for

no earlier than thirty (30) nor later than sixty (60) days following receipt of the

petition, charter, and plan of service, and shall, in accordance with the provisi ons of

KRS Chapter 424, publish notice which includes the time and place of the public

hearing, alerts the public that the issue discussed at the hearing will be placed upon

the ballot, and includes an accurate map of the area or a description in layman's

terms reasonably identifying the area.

(4) At the public hearing, the fiscal court or the legislative council of a consolidated

local government shall take testimony of interested parties and solicit the

recommendations of any planning commission, city, ar ea development district, or

state agency meeting the criteria of subsection (2) of this section.

(5) Following the public hearing, the fiscal court or the legislative council of a

consolidated local government shall adopt a resolution submitting to the qua lified

voters of the county or the consolidated local government the question as to whether

a taxing district should be established for the area and a special ad valorem tax or an

occupational license fee imposed for the maintenance and operation of the di strict.

A certified copy of the order of the fiscal court or the legislative council of a

consolidated local government shall be filed with the county clerk not later than the

second Tuesday in August prior to the next regular election and thereupon the cl erk

shall cause the question to be placed upon the ballot.

(6) The question shall be stated so that the service to be provided by the district, the

type of governing body, and the method of financing as allowed by this section are

clearly outlined.

(7) If a majority of those voting on the question favor the establishment of a special

district with authorization to impose an ad valorem tax, then it shall be so

established and shall constitute and be a taxing district within the meaning of

Section 157 of t he Constitution of Kentucky. If a majority of those voting on the

question favor the establishment of a special district with an increase in the

occupational license fee as authorized by this section, it shall be so established and

shall operate as set forth in the question on the ballot.

(8) If an ad valorem tax is approved, the county clerk shall add the levy to the tax bills

of the county or the consolidated local government. For taxing purposes, the

effective date of the tax levy shall be January 1 of t he year following the election. If

an occupational license fee increase is approved, the appropriate legislative bodies

shall add the levy to the occupational license fee as of January 1 of the year

following the election. The tax or fee shall be collected in the same manner as are

other county or consolidated local government ad valorem taxes or occupational

license fees and shall be turned over to the governing body of the district. The

special ad valorem tax or fee shall be in addition to all other ad va lorem taxes or

occupational license fees.

(9) Nothing in this section shall be construed to enlarge upon or to restrict the powers

granted a taxing district under the taxing district's specific authorizing statutes.

(10) A special district created pursuant to this section may be financed either by a special

ad valorem tax imposed by the governing body of the district, as authorized by the

voters in an election on the question, of an amount not to exceed ten cents ($0.10)

per one hundred dollars ($100) of as sessed value of the property subject to local

taxation of the district; or by a levy of occupational license fees by the public body

or bodies with jurisdiction over the area served by the special district, if the levy has

been approved by the voters in an election on the question. The special district shall

not levy both an ad valorem tax and an occupational license fee. The occupational

license fee shall not exceed one percent (1%) of:

(a) Salaries, wages, commissions, and other compensation earned by per sons for

work done and services performed or rendered; and

(b) The net profits of businesses, trades, professions, or occupations from

activities conducted in the district, except public service companies, banks,

trust companies, combined banks and trust c ompanies, combined trust,

banking and title companies, any savings and loan association whether state or

federally chartered, and in all other cases where a public body is prohibited by

law from imposing a license fee.

(11) The budget of any taxing distric t created pursuant to this section shall be approved

by the fiscal court or legislative council of a consolidated local government if

financed by an ad valorem tax, or by the fiscal court or the legislative council of a

consolidated local government and the legislative body levying the fee, if funded by

an occupational license fee increase. The board of the district shall submit its

estimate of revenue and proposed budget to the appropriate approving body or

bodies by May 1 of each year, and such body or bo dies shall approve or amend the

budget by June 1.

Collected 2026-09-05T20:49:20Z. Source file · JSON

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