Maysville and Mason County have long served as economic and cultural centers in Northeastern Kentucky. Since the late seventeen hundreds, when Mason County was permanently settled, each generation of rural and urban citizens has thrived by adapting their business models to meet the market’s evolving needs.
In preparing for our next comprehensive plan, we must adjust historical dollar values for inflation and restate in 2022. Then include these facts about Maysville/Mason County:
In 2022, compared to the 1980s, Mason County experienced:
- $64 Million less rural income
- More grain acres but less pasture and livestock income
- Increased soil erosion and ag chem pollution
- A reduction of the acres of land in farms
- Fewer residents whose principal employment was farming
- The unresolved issue of Inadequate sewage disposal in the rural areas, the #1 problem of the last Comp Plan
- A 7.6% DECREASE in population
- 2,549 fewer employed persons in 2023 than in 1999
Even as income, population, and employment decline in the area. the cost of local facilities and services continues to rise due to inflation and higher societal expectations. Mason County’s extensive electric transmission network can generate local income without public capital investment. Moreover, large-scale solar can increase local tax districts’ revenue.
We all share the goal of creating the best possible community in twenty years. Together, we must select a Comprehensive Plan that mitigates the negative changes we have witnessed over the past thirty years or more. We can adapt and prosper by changing how we deliver value and funding Maysville Mason County’s community facilities and services in 2033
Maysville has banned large-scale solar and Mason County’s current large-scale solar regulations discourage the establishment of well-regulated solar installations. Instead, we should demand solar regulations that model the Kentucky Model Solar Ordinance. By doing so, we can achieve the following:
- Protect our topsoil for future generations.
- Reduce chemical pollution in local watersheds.
- Generate revenue help to replace the $64 million of lost tobacco and dairy income
- Increase the number of local high-value job opportunities.
- Expand the real estate tax base to support local services
- Safeguard the land from encroaching urbanization
Solar power can set our business recruitment efforts apart. As of January 2020, nearly half of Fortune 500 companies have publicly committed to renewable energy, greenhouse gas (GhG) reduction, or energy efficiency goals. Among the Fortune 100 companies, 63% have pledged to source more electricity from renewable energy generators. Many companies actively seek solar production in rural areas to fulfill these commitments for their new headquarters and service centers. New solar projects could make Mason County an attractive location for such companies, bringing in more skilled jobs and tax revenue to our community.
Show your commitment to our area’s future, and submit your opinion ONCE via the Comprehensive Plan Survey at s4-mc.com/survey. This may be your first chance to show your support for large-scale solar in our area.
