10-26-10 —     When Greg Rankin was elected County Judge-Executive in 2006, there  were a couple of historical notes for the local books. At 27, he was  

probably the youngest person ever elected to head county government.  And he was the first democrat elected to that position in Wayne  

County in more than 30 years.

    Political party aside, Rankin has spent the past four years doing  

what he feels is best for all the citizens of  Wayne County. He noted  

that he made very few political promises during that campaign in  

2006, and those that he made, he has worked hard to keep.

    "The things I said we would do I have gotten done, and the biggest  promise that I made was that I would work with everybody. It did not  

matter their political party, if there was something we could do to  help, we would do it," said Rankin, as he talked about his bid for re-

election to the position. "We have been able to do that and I have  always made that a priority, and I think people notice that...When  

they come in the door, I don't ask what party they are. If there is  something we can do, we do it. I think people know that."

    Rankin will tell you that these are lessons he learned early in  life, as he grew up in a very politically involved family. It was a  lesson taught by his grandfather, Howard Rankin, who served as County  Judge and who spent more than 30 years as a Monticello City Councilman.

    "He was a huge part of my life, especially politics," said Rankin.

    When he first began to talk about running for County Judge-Executive, many people questioned his youth and his inexperience.  

They questioned how he would be able to do the job.

    "I was always able to say that I grew up with this," Rankin said.  

"Most people don't, but we did. My grandfather had been a judge and  

he had been on the city council and that was what he talked about. My  family always talked politics...I saw that up close for so long that  I think even at a younger age I had a much better understanding than  

people who are older because I had been around it."

    Rankin had his grandfather by his side throughout much of the 2006  campaign.

    "He was the first person when I was actually thinking about running  who said to run. He wanted me to run. He had been around it long  

enough and he knew how I felt about it," recalled Rankin.

    And it was the example that was set by his grandfather that he has  tried to follow.

    "I always felt like regardless of what anyone else said to him or  

how bad they talked about him, he always did what he thought was  

right and what he thought was best for the community, regardless of  party," recalled Rankin. "A lot of his best friends were republicans,  and I guess I got a lot of that from watching as I grew up. That's  just the way I look at it."

    Rankin was sworn in in January 2007 with his grandfather at his  side. He has lost his grandfather since then, so that makes this  campaign a little bittersweet. But he still keeps those values with him.

    "It goes back to treating people right and treating people  fair...You have to work for them. If there is something you can do  for them you better try to do it," he said.

    Campaigning in 2010 is a little different, especially since Rankin  now has four years on the job. For one thing, there doesn't seem to  be enough hours in the day to work and to get out to see the voters.

    "It's probably more difficult to campaign now simply because this  job takes so many hours....My wife will tell you that she does not  see me much," said Rankin. "I spend a lot of time at work and over  

the last four years I haven't spent a lot of time at home. I enjoy  this and that is what I want to do and that is what it takes to make  things happen."

    Rankin noted that people who are on the other side of this office  can make lots of promises. It's something he didn't do four years ago  

and he isn't doing that now. He does make a basic pledge to the voters.

    "I will work as hard as as possible for everyone in this community.  I know a lot of people who are running for office say that they love  their town and that they love their county. Well, I really do. It's  

not just a saying," stated Rankin. "The one thing I said when I  started campaigning was that whatever happens I won't be outworked. I  take that not only with campaigning, but with my job as judge as well."

    Rankin said that is what the taxpayers, who pay his salary, deserve.

    "We have gotten a lot done and I am proud of what we have done,"  stated Rankin. "We can point to what we have gotten done."

    Rankin noted that when an official first takes office is seems that  four years is a long time. But once you start getting involved in  projects, four years isn't really that long.

    "It gives you time to get the things you really wanted to do  started," he said. "I hope to be here another four years and  hopefully see some more of the progress we have made and see some of  

the big things we have started followed through. I think we can make  a big difference over the next four years."

    The economy has been one of the big issues in this campaign, and it  

continues to loom large everywhere as this nation deals with the  worst national economy since the Great Depression. Jobs a big part of  

this job and Rankin noted that there is an initiative on the way to  build energy efficient homes in existing houseboat manufacturing  facilities.

    "We have factories that we can build things in and we have people to  build them, so we have been working with Kentucky Highlands and the  

University of Kentucky to build energy efficient homes that can be  built in our factories and by our people," he said. "There is no  doubt we can do it. If we get that design right, then it is a product  we can that is different from anything that is on the market."

    Rankin noted that there are many people here who have a trade, but  they are not sure about starting a business on their own. He noted  that the county has received approval to provide business training to  

anyone who is interested in starting their own business.

    Individuals will be trained locally to continue this program. "We  

have certified economic development specialists on staff here and  that can be a big benefit once this thing gets started," he said.

    Rankin has also helped put together a business incubator program,  geared to helping people who want to start a small business.  

Volunteers from different aspects of the community serve on this  

board and provide valuable information to participants.

    Rankin noted the key to local economic recovery could like in the  successful start up of small businesses. If you have 10 to 15 small  businesses that start here and employ people here, then they are more  likely to stay here, he noted.

    "I was fortunate enough that I could come back home and work. My  family was in the grocery business and I had a job," said Rankin. "So  

many people my age had to move away and that is one of the biggest  reasons I ever ran for office, because I knew I was fortunate, but  everybody else is not. Everybody doesn't have a place to come back to  

and work. I wanted to make sure we were doing everything we could to  provide more opportunities for people."

    That's one of the reasons the county started an EMT class and a  

paramedic class locally. Rankin noted that the ambulance service was  

having to hire individuals from out-of-town, because there was not  

enough people in this work force trained to do the job.

    Wayne County is now one of the few ambulance services in the state  

to offer these types of classes and they recently became the first in  

Kentucky to offer online EMT classes. It means that local people can  

train right here at home and get a job here in Wayne County.

    "If we can educate them here, we can keep them here. They have a  

better job, and we have put people here to work," stated Rankin.

    There have been challenges throughout the past four years, many of  

which were not expected. The fiscal court has suffered the loss of  

two magistrates who passed away during this term. That is probably  

the first time this has happened to the court during a term.

    Rankin and this court were also met with a big challenge soon after  

taking office in January 2007—the lowering of Lake Cumberland so that  

repairs could be made on Wolf Creek Dam.

    The first step after the announcement was getting the information  

together about what was going on. The next step was to try to make  

sure that the lake was accessible. The county had to fix about 15 of  

its boat ramps, so people could actually get to the water.

    And then, it was time to start working on public perception. Rankin  

said the county had to get the word out that there was water in Lake  

Cumberland. Wayne County began to work with surrounding counties and  

other tourism agencies in the region to put out their message.

    That was the first step to one of Rankin's goals, and that was  

better marketing for Wayne County. It began simply. The county did a  

brochure, then another brochure. They developed a logo, had a  

presence at boat shows and began to do television marketing in larger  

cities like Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati. And they planned  

events like the Lake Cumberland Raft Up, where a new world record was  

set right here in Wayne County.

    It has taken some time to get there, but Rankin is pleased with the  

work that has been done. The county now has a website that is updated  

at least once a week and it also uses new technology like Twitter to  

provide even more information.

    "We are using a lot of different ways to reach people where they are  

now," said Rankin. "Television and radio and boat shows are good, but  

a lot of people now go to their computers...When I am going somewhere  

now the first thing I do is go online to look it up."

    And what many don't realize is the impact that tourism has on county  

government. Sure, people who visit here spend money at local  

businesses, but every dollar spent at the marinas has a fee tacked on  

to it by the Corps of Engineers, explained Rankin. A portion of that  

fee comes back to the county where it was generated.

    That money dropped drastically the first year the lake level was  

lowered, from $227,000 annually to about $47,000. "We took a big hit  

that year and we really didn't know it was coming," said Rankin.

    A loss of revenue like that is tough to handle, but Rankin noted  

that because his administration had watched every dollar, they did  

not have to cut any services to the people.

    "We kept going just like we were because we had watched what we were  

doing," said Rankin.

    Rankin did make one promise during his last campaign, and that was  

to lower the occupational tax. He did that as his administration  

prepared its first budget in 2007.

    "We made a 10 percent reduction in it and we did not cut any  

services. We have actually been able to expand services, like our  

recycling program, our litter abatement, and we have replaced an  

entire fleet of sheriff's cars, bought three new ambulances and done  

the most paving ever in a four-year period," stated Rankin.

    This year the county received almost $500,000 in extra funding from  

the state for blacktopping. They have been able to team state dollars  

with local dollars, as well as some paving equipment the road  

department now owns, to make their money go even further.

    "We have gotten rid of some gravel roads and we have improved a lot  

of older roads that had been chipped and sealed," said Rankin. "Over  

the next four years we could see a huge difference."

    New equipment for the road department is something his  

administration has worked on since day one. Rankin said there was a  

need to upgrade equipment and that it took some time since he did not  

want to go in debt to get what was needed.

    "I can't ask a man to go out and do a job and not give him the  

equipment to do it with. It was nobody's fault, the equipment was  

just old and breaking down," he said. "We have a new road grader that  

we have bought in the last couple of years...We have made a huge  

investment over time and we did over time so we didn't go and borrow   

a bunch of money. Basically, everything is paid for. Our debt now is  

smaller than it was four years ago, and we have been able to replace  

a lot of equipment."

    Rankin has been amazed at the way the local residents have embraced  

the recycling program, which began as one trailer located at Wal-

Mart. It took two weeks to fill it up the first time and all the  

items were then taken to Pulaski County. That quickly changed as the  

trailer filled up in a week the next time and then it was every  

couple of days.

    "We have grown from that to  having our own center," said Rankin.  

"We handle everything ourselves. We bale it, weight it and ship it  

out. We do everything here and it is generating some income."

    So far this year, recycling has brought in about $40,000 which more  

than pays for for the program. The county is doing this without any  

extra employees and they utilize inmate labor at the recycling  

center. The equipment has been purchased through grant funding, so  

the investment has been minimal.

    Rankin said he knows that something good is happening when other  

communities call and ask what Wayne County is doing. He said he never  

wants Wayne County to take a backseat to other communities again.

    "We are a leader in recycling, in EMS and in the way our road  

department is run. We are moving ahead in a lot of things and people  

are looking at us and saying we are doing something right here," he  

said. "That is where I want  us to be."

    "I work for the taxpayers of Wayne County and regardless of party or  

politics, if it benefits Wayne County I am going to work to do it,"  

he stated. "There is a lot more to this job that just showing up on  

picture day...A lot of hours and hard work go into what is done.  

Those things only happen because we do that work. We put in the hours  

of work every week for our community and I want to continue to do  

that. "