Christian County officials are preparing for the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly session with a wide-ranging list of funding priorities focused on courthouse renovations, infrastructure needs and community development. The list was presented during a special-called meeting of the Christian Fiscal Court on Tuesday, where county leaders emphasized the importance of initiating early conversations with state lawmakers.
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JRA Architects, the firm overseeing renovation planning for the historic Christian County Courthouse in downtown Hopkinsville, has not yet completed its study on needed improvements. Even without firm cost estimates, Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said the project must move forward on the county’s legislative agenda.
“We don’t have a price tag for (that project) yet,” Gilliam said. Even so, he explained the county added the courthouse project to its priority list “to get that conversation started” ahead of the 2026 session, which begins Jan. 6 and runs for 60 days through April 15.
The courthouse is one of several major community assets included on the county’s list. Also prioritized are upgrades for the Alhambra Theatre, improvements to the Western Hills Municipal Golf Course, funding for the Oak Grove water project, and continued progress on Kentucky 115, a long-discussed transportation improvement that remains only partially funded.
Gilliam said the Western Hills Golf Course—the only municipal public course in Hopkinsville—faces growing deterioration, including aging restrooms and outdoor facilities. He also noted that upgrades inside the Alhambra Theatre are becoming increasingly urgent, pointing out the need to address century-old sprinkler pipes and mechanical systems that are no longer reliable. “We certainly advocate for some cost-share money with our general assembly for that,” he told magistrates.
Infrastructure demands continue to rise in Oak Grove as its population grows. Gilliam said the county wants to ensure that the community’s water system remains on the priority list, especially as development pressures expand.
On Kentucky 115, Gilliam said funding has been secured for construction, easement and right-of-way work up to Anderson Lane, but the remaining section to Interstate 24 has not yet received construction dollars. Completing that gap remains a top priority for both local leaders and regional economic development stakeholders.
Gilliam explained that the county’s budget committee played a major role in assembling the list of 2026 priorities. The items will be presented formally as a resolution during the next fiscal court meeting, giving magistrates time to review and suggest additions or modifications.
The court also heard a detailed update from Chris Head, senior divisional resource development director for the Kentucky-Tennessee Division of The Salvation Army. Head shared progress on the organization’s plan to build a new facility to replace multiple aging structures in Hopkinsville. He said a donor has provided land four blocks from the current East Seventh Street site.
The new facility, he said, will offer expanded services and operate around the clock. “The best part of this new building is it would be open 24 hours a day,” he noted. “So our current building, our current shelter, is not open 24 hours a day.” The consolidated building would combine four structures into one and support growing community demand.
Head also reported that The Salvation Army has already raised $3 million of the $9 million needed for the new facility. In the last five years alone, the organization has contributed nearly $5 million in local assistance through utility, rent and water support. “We feel very confident that there is a need for us to continue to be here, but we do need a new building,” he said. He described sheltering as the agency’s most critical service in Hopkinsville.
Tuesday’s session, normally held in the morning, was moved to the afternoon due to its special-called nature.
In other business, the fiscal court:
Originally reported by By TONYA S. GRACE NEW ERA Staff Writer in Kentucky Newera.
