Twenty-nine Kentucky counties will share 74-million dollars in coal severance tax dollars this year, and state officials say that’s the largest amount in a decade. Perry County will receive 3-point-8 million – more than 5 percent of the total. Perry Judge-Executive Scott Alexander said the funds are used to make the county a better place to live and work.
“That is money that we'll put back into her local economic development fund can be used for a lot of different varieties, but we try to use our coal severance as much as possible in economic growth, parks, recreation and quality of life issues now.”
Alexander noted the reason for the coal severance tax program – to reimburse counties for the loss of a finite resource.
“It was meant to reimburse counties. And I think that it had a purpose of trying to help us reinvent herself as well. As we know that someday, you know, coal will be gone.”
Alexander said Perry County coal mines are nothing like they used to be, but predicted coal will continue to play an important role in Kentucky and elsewhere – even in the era of electric vehicles.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, fact-based journalism. Monthly sustaining donors are the top source of funding for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
