The following letter to the editor by Kenneth L. Randall of Radcliff appeared in the editorial section of The News-Enterprise on July 17, 2026. It is republished here in full with his permission.
Support Leader With Business-Like Approach
How many times have you heard, “Why can’t our government operate like a business?” Well for those who have missed it over the past going on four years, our County Judge-Executive Keith Taul has been doing just that.
And like any good business leader, he has created a five-year plan to take Hardin County into the future. It’s called Hardin County Roadmap 2030 and lists 12 goals to improve the services available to all Hardin County residents.
These goals are:
- EMS to meet acceptable standards (response times, quality, budgetary).
- Fire services to meet acceptable standards (response times, quality, budgetary).
- Emergency management and E911 to meet acceptable standards (response times, quality, budgetary).
- Provide fast easy access to budget summary reports, financial transactions, road and bridge status/plans, key processes and other important performance metrics.
- Implement and sustain (waste reduction) and problem-solving methods in departments resulting in a continuous culture tracking all improvement projects.
- Implement a responsible balanced budget responding to growth of services.
- Complete needed water and sewer infrastructure improvements in 2024 comprehensive plan.
- High-speed internet broadband available to all residents.
- Repair/replace county bridges and repair roads rated poor and implement bridge and road maintenance system.
- Develop and start implementation of a drug rehabilitation/structure.
- Increase community recreation, fitness and parks.
- Improve key services that impact our community.
The progress toward meeting each goal is reported along with a timetable of those tasks yet to be accomplished. The Hardin County 2030 Roadmap can be downloaded from the Hardin County Government website.
In the Army I was told, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” It seems County Judge Keith Taul knows this as well.
I ask all Hardin County residents to vote for Keith Taul on Nov. 3, 2026. He is a skilled leader we cannot afford to lose.
Kenneth L. Randall
Radcliff