Kentucky Governor-elect Matt Bevin has outlined a few of his policy and managerial plans to a large group of county officials. Bevin spoke Friday during the closing session of the Kentucky Association of Counties conference meeting in Lexington.
Bevin told county officials from across the Commonwealth that Kentucky’s retirement system is now the most underfunded of any state in the union. He says it could take a generation, 20 to 30 years to completely solve problems in the teachers’ and state workers’ programs. “We have to change the system for those not yet in it,” said Bevin. “For those people not yet hired, they are going to have to come into a very different plan than that which has been offered to each of you.”
Governor-elect Bevin says more Kentuckians should be working. He says there are more working age men and women who are not working than those who are getting a paycheck. “It is my determination that in the next four years to the degree that I have any ability to do something about this and I believe that I do and we will, if you are an able bodied working age man or woman in the state of Kentucky and you do not have dependents, you should not be on social welfare in this state,” added Bevin.
Bevin got another round of applause when he said better decisions are made at the local level than higher up in government. He says he’s looking for workers in state government with competence, character, and a commitment to the Commonwealth. Bevin takes office on December 8.
