Carlisle County’s incumbent Democratic judge-executive is running unopposed for reelection this year.
Greg Terry has held the office for almost 12 years now and is seeking a fourth term. He said having that amount of experience in the role is what qualifies him for another term. He also has 10 years of prior experience working in the Carlisle County Road Department, which he said plays a large part in the work he does.
“Having that knowledge of the road sure helps out at being judge-executive, knowing how to keep things rolling there, keep funds that is available for patching and fixing roads,” Terry said. “I know a lot [about] how to draw in those road funds, and it makes it much easier to be judge-executive when you have some of that background.”
One of the biggest issues facing his county right now is retaining revenue for 911 services, which the judge-executive said has become difficult due to landlines becoming obsolete. For the moment, the county government has implemented an addition on insurance tax to make up for the loss of being able to collect funds from 911 calls.
“Keeping that tax on is crucial for us to be able to move forward,” the judge-executive added. “I have a lot of people that buck me, that don’t want that tax, so it's going to be a big obstacle for us in the next few years to keep that tax on.”
Terry said his first term began with a rocky start with the Carlisle County courthouse burning down. He said Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts worked with the county to create a new $13 million dollar courthouse. Terry also mentioned a collaboration with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Office to create a community event building that, once the loans are paid off, will be a completely city-owned property. Terry said the county has seen great success with the creation of new buildings, including a new elementary school.
Currently Terry is focusing on a project concerning Carlisle County’s parks. The county recently received a Land and Water Conservation award earlier this year to add a fishing lake to a local park with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. They’re also going to use some of that funding to make various improvements to the county’s recreational facilities.
“Also, we’re going to redo the ballfield’s fencing , and things like that around to better [the park],” the judge-executive said. “It’s just a little dangerous.”
Terry believes one of the keys to the future success of Carlisle County is collaboration with the other “river counties” of west Kentucky, Ballard, Hickman and Fulton. The judge-executives from each county meet on a monthly basis to work together on solving problems. Terry said the collaboration has been a major help.
“It makes us a stronger voice. It makes us be able to get more funds in our area when we have a bigger voice,” Terry said. “I think that’s been one of the biggest things and it’s helped our county. We share [in] economic development [opportunities] together.”
Terry said his motivation to move forward with another term in office is to leave Carlisle County in a better position for future generations.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and I want the best for our community. And I want the best, not necessarily for me ... I hope that I have left something behind that is bettering our community for our kids.”
The 2022 primary elections will take place on May 17. Learn more about races in the region in our Primary Election Voter Guide.
