Gov. Bevin talks pension, infrastructure, and tourism at community forum

HARTFORD, KY (WFIE) - Sharing concerns and creating conversations.

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin opened the floor to field those questions in a community forum in Ohio County.

The Governor kicked off the community forum with a bit of good news, announcing a nearly $350,000 investment in discretionary funds for vital resurfacing work on three Ohio County roads.

This money will be going towards parts of Weedman Loop, New Cut Road, and Arnold Leach Road.

“We look at the prioritization of projects based on need, based on safety, based on economic impact, we rank them across the state," Governor Bevin explained.

Governor Bevin took questions from the crowd explaining nothing was off limits, and the state pension came up early on. Bevin says the topic was a big reason why he ran for Governor. He also blamed previous administrations for kicking the can down the road and explained where the situation stands.

“We’re less than one. Less than one person working for every retiree. It’s inverted. It’s not a defined benefit plan anymore. It is financially, statistically, numerically, actuarially impossible for the system to be sustained based on the way the system was designed,” Gov. Bevin told those attending.

Governor Bevin also tackled topics such as broadband and tourism, explaining their investing more in park upgrades than ever before.

He also spoke briefly about the state police ‘Angel Initiative,’ with the goal of saving lives by trading jail time for treatment for those fighting addiction.

"We’re still one of the worst in the nation, as a percentage of our population that wrestle with this,” Gov. Bevin said.

The Governor’s staff tells 14 News they’ve held more than 30 community forums across the state since last fall.

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