Hopkinsville City Council approved the budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and discussed the Inner-City Residential Enterprise Program at Tuesday’s meeting.
Before the meeting, Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. read a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Hopkinsville.
Knight also shared that a historical marker was recently added to Founder’s Square spotlighting Elder Watson Diggs a Christian County native who founded Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 1911. The historically Black fraternity is one of the Divine Nine organizations.
Along with the marker, a painting of Diggs was added to the Founder’s Square mural.
Turning toward ordinances, the council approved the 2025-26 operational and capital budgets on the second reading. The $56.9 million budget includes a 3% wage increase for city employees, insurance increases, no tax raises and the creation of the Hoptown Helps Program.
The council also reviewed a slew of executive orders concerning committee and board appointments. One of the orders detailed the creation of the Legacy Hopkinsville Committee who will review and make recommendations concerning the Inner-City Residential Enterprise Program.
The program is run by Community and Development Services and focuses on ensuring rental properties are up to code and helping residents make their homes more energy efficient.
The committee is made up by council members Jason Bell, Brittanie Bogard, Amy Craig, Elizabeth Draude, Donald Marsh, Vance Smith and Brandi Stallons. The council members appointed to the committee were selected because the program operates in their wards.
The program focuses on wards that have lower income housing and Ward Seven Council Member Clayton Sumner questioned why the program doesn’t just support those anywhere in the city dealing with economic hardship.
Holly Boggess from Community and Development Services shared that the program’s service area was established based on census data and was approved by city council. Knight says the committee will be examining and providing recommendations concerning the program’s service area.
The Inner-City Residential Enterprise Program will be further discussed at Thursday’s special-called city council meeting.