Published: August 18, 2008 11:23 am            

South Laurel is a taxpayer’s paradise

Ten years ago, when I first moved to South Laurel, (what most people refer to as North Corbin), I didn’t have an understanding of the geographical politics. Then I asked my father-in-law, who grew up in South Laurel with his grandparents, why isn’t the Laurel County side part of the city of Corbin? My father-in-law, who generally doesn’t talk politics, was rather passionate about what older South Laurel Countians viewed as Corbin’s aggressive push for annexation more than three decades earlier. Well, let’s just say I don’t bring up that sore topic anymore.

Apparently, the history behind it started in 1974 when Whitley County State Representative Elmer Patrick introduced legislation into the General Assembly to annex the southern part of Laurel County. The reaction was an unprecedented organization of South Laurel voters and land owners with the help of Laurel County State Representative Albert Robinson and State Senator Gene Huff who lobbied other legislators to kill the legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly. Thus the rift between the two areas was born.

When I was a younger man, it was hard for me to understand such animosity. I grew up in Cold Hill in western Laurel County, where the drive was 10 miles to London and eight miles to Corbin. So, I spent almost about the same amount of time in both cities. While attending South Laurel High School, I worked at restaurants in London. When I started college at the EKU extension in Corbin, I worked for the Kroger in the Trademart Shopping Center. Growing up in the country, I really had no opinion about either city. Both London and Corbin were simply places to work, shop, eat and run around with friends.

Fast forward 15 years later, and I have now officially been a South Laurel County resident for the last decade. To tell the truth, my perception has changed as a land owner. I simply want to peacefully coexist next to Corbin, but not officially be a part of it because South Laurel Countians are getting the better end of the deal.

South Laurel (Exit 29) has grown exponentially just in the last few years with hotels, banks, restaurants, apartments, dentists and doctor’s offices, a fitness center, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and strip malls.

Combine that with Exit 25 (the city of Corbin’s only real exit off of I-75), and the residents of South Laurel have easy access to Corbin’s benefits such as the hospital, movie theater, more restaurants (though Corbin’s have alcohol, we keep ours dry in South Laurel), and most of all the soon-to-be-completed Expo Center.

Through agreements with the Corbin City Utilities Commission, the businesses in South Laurel are provided utility services to operate, although they are not part of the city.

Also, other agreements between the Laurel County Fiscal Court and the city of Corbin have allowed sewer treatment services to be provided for the residents of Northland Estates, just behind Wal-Mart in Southern Laurel County, which are maintained by the city of Corbin.

Our fire department services are provided by Knox County through West Knox Fire Department, who does an excellent job and even has a substation in “South Laurel” on 25 just north of KFC in Laurel County. Over the past couple of years, the Laurel County Fiscal Court has offered some funding to assist in their operations.

Laurel County Sheriff Fred Yaden has recently opened a satellite office in South Laurel to increase deputy patrols. The Laurel County Library also has a South Laurel Branch that offers a wonderful service to South Laurel Countians.

Most of all, South Laurel Countians pay some of the lowest property taxes in all of Laurel County, and probably even the Tri-Counties.

South Laurel has the feel of living out in the country with all of the benefits of the city only seconds away. Best of all, its residents are not burdened with all of the property zoning restrictions and taxes of living within city limits, and do not ever have to fear annexation again because of a state law that prohibits city annexation into more than two counties.

I could go on and on but I believe these are enough examples to make my point.

I look forward to many decades of goodwill with our city neighbors to the south, and I want to sincerely thank the great citizens and elected officials of Laurel, Knox and Whitley counties.

Because of your desire to work together and fund projects and services across county lines, it has allowed South Laurel residents to reap the rewards with little or no cost out of our own pockets, and it has truly made South Laurel (aka North Corbin) a taxpayer’s paradise.

Bryan Mills,

South Laurel

(aka North Corbin)

        

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