In budget town-hall meeting with other executives, mayor says city is adding jobs even in pandemic

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift shared updates on the city’s budget and plans for the 2020-21 fiscal year in a town hall meeting Wednesday, July 15 with Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott and County Judge-Executive James Kay.

The covid-19 pandemic loomed over the event, hosted by the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce, but Vandegrift said job growth in Midway is continuing.

“Despite the struggles today, our city is very strong and has been growing for quite a few years now,” Vandegrift said. “The largest bit of good news has been our job growth primarily in  Midway Station, although there’s been job growth throughout the city the last five years.”

Vandegrift said the city has doubled its occupational tax revenue since 2015, thanks to the addition of more than 500 new jobs.

“Our bread and butter for the city is occupational taxes,” he said.

City of Midway budget as passed by City Council; for a larger version, click on it.

When Vandegrift was elected mayor in 2014, the city was bringing in $300,000 in occupational taxes. In the fiscal year ended June 30, “some receipts still to go,” the city brought in $700,057 in occupational taxes.

With a 133% increase in occupational taxes the past five years and more jobs coming in Midway Station, the mayor said he believes the city can bring in $1 million in occupational tax revenue by 2022.

“Midway was not known as a job hub for a long time, but it’s starting to become one now and it’s opened up a lot of doors for us,” he said.

But for the 2020-21 fiscal year, Midway is planning “conservatively” due to the pandemic, Vandegrift said. The city’s budget calls for $737,000 in occupational tax revenue, not the $825,000 Vandegrift estimated expected before the pandemic. 

The 2020-21 budget calls for less revenue and spending than the 2019-20 budget; the only category set to increase is cemetery expenses, budgeted for $7,009 more than last year, due to completion of a pavilion allowing families to hold services under cover during inclement weather. It was the last major item restored by the City Council in its budget workshops.

The budget calls for spending $1,789,533, not including the separately funded water, sewer and cemetery accounts, and reducing the city’s surplus to $751,217 from $925,800.