By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter
Great shape.
Those were Kris Knochelmann’s words he used to describe Kenton County. The county’s Judge/Executive – who is an advocate for government efficiency and effectiveness – spoke to the Covington Rotary Club last week and gave what certainly sounded like a State of the County address.
“Kenton County is in the best financial and operational shape we’ve been in probably 50 years,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. And he did not hesitate one bit in defending his statement.
“Property taxes have been cut to their lowest since 1983,” he said, “and, we have been investing our assets for long-term service to Kenton County.”
No surprise here. From leading the effort to reform the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) Board, to improving Northern Kentucky’s economic development organization, Knochelmann has actively worked to improve the performance of the region’s organizations supporting private enterprise, entrepreneurship well as job creation.
Why not? Knochelmann is a lifelong resident of the county — growing up in Taylor Mill – and graduating from Covington Latin School and later Xavier University with a degree in accounting. He then took control of the family business – Schneller & Knochelmann Plumbing Heating Air — a business founded in 1928 that employs more than 100 team members with offices in Covington and Cincinnati.
“I worked in the plumbing and HVAC industry since I was 15,” he told the club. Now he is working for his county.
“The business,” he continued,” is strong, and runs with quality leaders. I feel good where they are – they allow me to work for the county.”
And that he does. He says the county is reinvesting in the Historic Kenton County Courthouse in Independence – including a Farmers Market, and making it more efficient to get to the Sheriff, Clerk, PVA and Conservation District.
“We have hired a Project Manager to move forward on the development and construction of new Kenton County Park, which will be a 225-acre park,” he said. It is the old Fox Run Golf Course.
“Ten years ago,” Knochelmann said, “our Animal Shelter was 65 percent life release. Today the shelter is 98 percent, with better adoption as well as better care of the animals.”
As for the jail operations, Knochelmann claims they are ay the best in decades with the population about 600.
“We set the model for county jails,” he said. “Those that are locked up are those who need to be there; and working with judges and prosecutors.”
The county, he says, is developing the next level of addiction treatment at the jail and making sure offenders/inmates are set up to not come back to jail.
Knochelmann was quick to point out several projects:
• Leading the development of Spark Haus – Northern Kentucky hub for entrepreneurship based in Covington at the old Sim’s Furniture Building (727 Madison Avenue).
• Supporting the OneNKY Center for all growth organizations in Northern Kentucky at the foot of the Suspension Bridge’
• Leading the effort to the new Northern Kentucky Chase Law School and University of Kentucky School of Medicine in Covington – a Project Manager was recently hired for that
• Broadband internet to every home in Kenton County along with Campbell and Boone – that project is the largest in the country, according to Knochelmann.
“We built out the three-county first responder radio system connecting for the first time all the agencies and dispatch operations,” he said.
“And we continue to support our efforts on economic development making sure we have sites available for hi-tech manufacturing, likely in southwest Kenton County,” he said.
Please leave southern Kenton county rural as we love it
Lowers the tax rate while flat out stealing from everyone in the unincorporated part of the county to offset that lower tax rate. With the fees we pay on our insurance that is passed off as a convenience tax to get the same services as the rest of the county. Promotes the new farmers market, while taking farmland to put factories. He speaks with a forked tongue
This is NOT the best shape of county affairs, unless you mean the best shape according to Kris Knochelmann. He is trying to gain the acceptance and support of thousands of families he is trying to put out of their small businesses, homes and multi-generational farms in South Kenton County. I noticed his “economic plan” for South Kenton was at the very end of this article, without saying a word about the fight he has on his hands, as thousands of South Kenton residents adamantly oppose his “plan”.
It is great that property taxes were cut but in the end many people did not see any relief because they fell in the time period for a property re-eval. Even with the Homestead Act my own taxes were about the same as the year before. As far as the Kenton County Animal Shelter the county really needs to readdress that. The building itself is in dire need of expansion. When I went to adopt there were many dogs in small “cells” that had no windows, no sun, just a small area with a door that they could only see out of if they were looking up over the door. I am hoping that our county officials will go take a look at the magnificent building that Boone County has built for the animals. Their dogs have a nice large space where they can see people and other animals. No do should be stuck in cage-like areas until they are adopted. At their peak dog drop-off they had dogs in restrooms and offices I was told. Please do better. These dogs don’t ask to be abandoned, and we need to do the right thing for them
Please leave southern Kenton county as farmland and greenspace! The residents do NOT want the pollution, traffic and chaos that would come with industrializing this area.
There are plenty of other areas in Kentilon county that are already industrialized and where additions can be made without disrupting Southern Kenton County.
There are plenty of vacant buildings already zoned as industrial throughout the county that can be repurposed for the high tech manufacturing Judge Knochelmann & his cronies are so hellbent on bringing to the southern end. The residents of Southern Kenton County have loudly & repeatedly spoken their opposition of the SRI & proposed development of thousands of acres of rural land & will continue to do so.
Let’s keep Kenton County in great shape by preserving the rural character of the south end of the county, as expressed by citizen surveys and the county’s comprehensive plan. Let’s avoid destroying our cultural and natural heritage by promoting the developer-driven Site Readiness Initiative (SRI), which will expand industrial development to over 5000 rural acres currently zoned Agricultural. It will result in publicly subsidized infrastructure expansion (water, sewer, electric, gas); infrastructure costs that the current residents of Kenton County shouldn’t need to bear in a free market context. The SRI will also catalyze the expenditure of millions of state taxpayer dollars to build a new I-75 interchange between Walton and Crittenden, opening the floodgates of urban sprawl into last remaining rural bastion of Kenton County.
Kenton County will only remain great if we don’t follow suit and destroy our neighborhoods property by building a bunch of industrial non-sense and expand roads that are not needed. Let’s be unique and not create a concrete heaven!!!! Let’s let the trees, wildlife and neighbors keep their roots right where they are. It is absolutely atrocious that the county and state try to decide what’s best for a community without the blood, sweet and heart of the tax payers getting much of a say. I can only imagine if the community took a vote, this whole insane idea would be trashed. Sometimes it’s about more than the money that lines your pockets for all you politicians! Put this idea in the past and leave it. Think of something better, something outside the box and not destroy the fabulous heritage we already have. Lord knows there’s enough concrete being paved in independence…. We DON’T NEED ANYTHING MORE!!! Except maybe new people in the political seats of Kenton County!!!! Now that’s a fantastic idea most people need to drill in their heads!
You are about to take 5000 beautiful acres and destroy southern Kenton county and parts of neighboring Boone. Some of those farms have been in families for generations. We don’t want your “high tech manufacturing”. Put it in your own back yard!