FAYETTE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Several high-profile Kentucky lawmakers made it clear that they have their eyes on Fayette County Public Schools, and they're not happy with the budget issues that surfaced last year.
One thing that still bothers the Republican senators representing Fayette County is the occupational tax increase controversy.
"I was shocked and surprised," said Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, a Republican from Lexington who previously served on the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Council.
Mays Bledsoe says the Fayette County School Board's attempt to raise the occupational license tax in 2025 was wrong. It would have raised taxes for people who work in Fayette County, including more than 100,000 Kentuckians who live in other counties.
The board eventually dropped the attempt after significant public anger and after Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman found the attempt illegal. But Mays Bledsoe says at that point, public trust had been lost because it appeared the public was being left out of the conversation.
"My frustration there was that they did so without public notification, without buy in from the region, without buy in from the business community and support," she said.
So, Mays Bledsoe wants to remove the option for a new occupational tax, at least for a while. Senate Bill 76 would increase the population threshold from 300,000 to 500,000 in order for a community to be able to raise the tax. Fayette County's current population would no longer qualify for the increase.
"Fayette County voters were pretty adamant about taking the tax off the table," Mays Bledsoe said.
The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee gave the bill the support it needed to move forward in the legislative process. But some lawmakers expressed concern over taking the tax increase option away from Fayette County because the school board may need it before the county's population hits half a million.
"As someone who used to be in local government, I don't believe in taking tools away from local government and I believe in local control and letting communities make local decisions," said Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong.
This is not the only bill expected in response to everything that happened with Fayette County Schools. The Senate president has said an oversight bill of the district's finances is also likely.
