TAYLORSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- County officials are urging the state to help expand Spencer County's historic courthouse.
Spencer County Fiscal Court unanimously approved a resolution asking the Administrative Office of Courts for assistance. The county desperately wants to expand and renovate the courthouse because of the problems they've been facing.
Spencer County's population has grown from about 6,500 in 1990 to around 20,000 today. A courthouse designed for a few thousand simply can't adequately serve their population today, Judge Executive John Riley said.
"It's almost like walking into the '50s when you walk into our courthouse," he said while walking down one of the courthouse hallways.
Several officials that one would normally find in a county courthouse aren't even in the same building in Spencer County because of the current size.
The fiscal court has to meet across the street, and the circuit clerk is next door in an annex with district court. That issue makes for a lot of back and forth for the circuit clerk.
"They have to wheel their files down here and shuttle them up on an elevator to attend court proceedings," Riley said about the circuit clerk who makes the trip to the main building several times a day.
Security is also a concern with the out-of-date courthouse. There's only one metal detector in the main courthouse. Inmates are brought in through an elevator used by civilians. There's even a staircase on the first floor that leads directly to the judge's seat in the circuit courtroom, a concern for at least one of the judges.
Spencer County Courtroom
"It's time that we really move forward on trying to update our facilities and bring Spencer County into the 21st Century," Riley said.
The goal of the resolution that passed last week is to set the county up for funds that would begin a design stage for the expansion and restoration. The AOC, chief justice and legislators would have to work to get those funds passed for next year's budget. For the design process to get underway soon, those funds would have to be included during the upcoming legislative session in 2020.
"We are looking forward, and what this was designed to do is let them know that we're serious, and we'd really like serious attention from all of those entities," Riley said.
As the beautiful, rural county keeps on growing, it maintains its love for the historic element of the quaint town. Riley said that the look of the courthouse will be preserved. However, he said he knows it's time for updates.
"We've outgrown it, simply put," he said.
Riley said if the funds were included on next year's budget, construction probably wouldn't begin until 2024 at the earliest.
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