What true Kentuckian would want to consolidate counties in our glorious state? | Opinion
While combing the Herald-Leader I came across an opinion editorial pushing the idea of reducing the number of counties in Kentucky. My first thought: blasphemy!
Secondly, my natural inclination moved into a competitive spirit for all those honorable little counties outside the golden triangle. I couldn’t help but think of the consequences of consolidation. You could even say this editorial got me a little sentimental about back roads and seldom visited counties dotting our state map.
What true Kentuckian would ever want to reduce the number of counties in our glorious Commonwealth? The number 120 has such a ridiculous and full sounding connotation. It’s as if we have so much uniqueness per square mile, we’re mandated to capture and hold it no matter its land area or population.
As a matter of civic duty, I’m willing to point out the commonsense issues with merging counties and reducing the number to a measly number of 59 (those whose population tops 20,000). Mind you, this list is not complete due to the number of words allowed in most print mediums, but it should be more than enough to support keeping Kentucky’s county list as is.
Every 7th grader should have to go through the same agony I endured at the hands of learning all 120 counties. This rite of passage must not be lost due to some silly budget trimming. How else will Kentucky’s next generation know about McLean or Robertson County? You can also see the cream rise to the top in our youth by those willing to memorize the corresponding county seats.
Lumping counties together will remove hard fought identities. Take the current example of Franklin County and Western Hills high schools. If you’re living in eastern Kentucky, you’ve heard of Franklin County, and you’d even be able to find it on a map. Western Hills on the other hand teeters on oblivion, residing in a recognized county, yet lost to anyone not living a stone’s throw away. The number of absorbed institutions who would fade into the void of county schools would be a savage ending to long, earned distinctions.
Speaking of high schools, did the author of the editorial not think of the heated rivalries that would be lost if counties consolidated? It would be unthinkable to eliminate the brutal battles of Ballard County and Carlisle County. Those kids don’t want to go to school together! Not to mention you’d be killing dreams of a small farm town knocking off the likes of Lexington or Louisville schools in the boys and girls sweet sixteen. Bigger is not always better.
This would completely wreck the county fairs across Kentucky. There is a particular art to small counties trying to outdo one another. Consolidating would mean no more backyard wrestling or Chris Cagle concerts. The weird and wonderful niche markets would be swallowed up by commercialization of mega counties. Think about how many contestants the Little Miss County Pageant would have! No respectable outdoor amphitheater would be ready for those crowds.
While I know schools now send out text messages if school is canceled, every kid still loves the thrill of watching the news crawl go by on the tv screen and seeing their county listed. We must not shorten that list. Living in Woodford County growing up, I had to patiently wait my turn as the alphabetical list crept by. Why would we be so cruel to remove that lovely feeling of anticipation for future generations?
People in Kentucky have always had the quirky tradition of asking strangers what county they’re from. Not what city or high school they went to, but which of the 120 counties they call home. I noticed this while I was attending UK, and besides my Lexington and Louisville friends, responses always included a county name. I loved hearing the rarities of Butler, Fulton, Harrison or Rockcastle.
While I’ve given some reasons to chew on, the idea of Kentucky losing any of its counties should make us pause, if nothing else but to appreciate the unique nature of our Commonwealth. Do we have too many constables, yes, we do, but I bet you they are proud of the area they’re responsible for. Overhauling a small community government and rolling it into a larger dysfunctional conglomerate sounds like a horrible idea to me.
Keep Kentucky weird and filled with a laughable number of cool counties.
Jim Jackson is a writer in Franklin County.