By Drew Adams
Murray, KY – A healthy year for coal companies is an economic boon for many Kentucky counties. Higher-than-expected mining permit and acreage fees this year means 31 counties will share more than 612-thousand dollars in state refunds. Hopkins County will receive $10,600 over and above the 1.3 million dollars the county receives yearly in coal refunds. Judge Executive Donald E. Carroll says the additional money will be added to the county's discretionary fund:
"In the budget we figure there would be an unallocated amount of about $83,000. But we have to get everyone's program financed before we get to the unallocated funds, to make sure we've really got it"
The money was collected from mining companies as part of the state's coal severance tax. 31 Kentucky coal-producing counties received refund money ranging from 50 dollars in Laurel County to nearly 100-thousand dollars in Pike County.