Local Elected Officials
Federal Elected Officials
Senator Mitch McConnell is a long time senator first elected in 1984. Currently, he holds the position of Senate Majority Leader.
Senator Rand Paul was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky where he practices ophthalmology.
Congressman Brett Guthrie was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2009. He represents the 2nd congressional district.
State Elected Officials
State Representative Josh Bray represents the 36th district.
State Senator Tom Buford represents the 22nd district and resides in Nicholasville. The 22nd district is comprised of Garrard, Boyle, Jessamine, and part of Fayette County.
County Elected Officials
Sheriff
Tim Davis
15 Public Square, Suite #4
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-3591
The Sheriff of Garrard County has a variety of responsibilities that generally fall into four categories:
- Tax Collection
- Election Duties
- Service to Courts
- Law Enforcement
Coroner
Shane Young
The Coroner is responsible for the identification of unclaimed bodies, administration of Coroners’ inquests and issuing Certifications of Death.
County Attorney
Mark Metcalf
Public Square
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-2331
Hours
Monday – Friday / 8 am – 4 pm
The County Attorney attends District Court and prosecutes all violations of criminal and penal law within the Court’s jurisdiction. In addition to this, collection of child support payments and civil advising to county government are significant responsibilities of this office.
Jailer
Kevin Middleton
15 Public Square
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-2591
Garrard County does not operate a county jail. Instead, the county finds that it is economically advantageous to contract with surrounding counties for the incarceration of county prisoners. Primarily, adult county inmates are housed in either the Lincoln County Detention Center or the Boyle County Detention Center. Juvenile Inmates are transported to various juvenile facilities throughout the Commonwealth, depending upon the circumstances of the case.
While Garrard County does not operate a jail, the office of Jailer is provided for in the Constitution of Kentucky. Our Jailer is primarily responsible for transportation of inmates for court appearances and keeps full time hours at the Garrard County Courthouse.
Questions regarding individual inmates should be addressed to the facility where the inmate is housed.
County Clerk
Kevin Montgomery
15 Public Sq. # 5
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-3071
Kevin.montgomery@ky.gov
The County Clerk is responsible for these services:
- Notary Public
- Licensing – motor vehicles, watercraft, hunting/fishing and marriage.
- Records Archival – deeds, real estate mortgages, power of attorney, easements, real estate options and leases.
- Elections – voter registration, primary and regular election management, election ballots – paper, absentee or mechanical.
- Tax Collection – assists the PVA and Sheriff in the notification and collection of property taxes.
Circuit Court Clerk
Kentucky Court of Justice
Dana Hensley
54 Stanford St.
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-2961
Hours
Monday: 8 am – 4 pm
Tuesday: 8 am – 4 pm
Wednesday: 8 am – 12 pm
Thursday: 8 am – 4 pm
Friday: 8 am – 4 pm
Saturday: 8 am – 12 pm
Circuit Court Clerks are elected officials of the court and are responsible for the custody, control, and safe storage of court records for both Circuit and District Court. Among the duties of the clerks and their deputy clerks are the receipt of lawsuits and papers for the courts, being present during trials, receiving fines, issuing drivers’ licenses, scheduling juries, handling bond money and operating the tape recording equipment which records District Court proceedings.
Drivers’ License Issuance
Written (knowledge) tests for driver license permit, motorcycle permit, and driver license reinstatement – Tuesday from 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm. Applicants must bring their original birth certificate and social security card to take the exam. They must also have a parent present to sign if they are a minor.
CDL permits – Tuesday from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm (CDL application, medical examination report and self – certification form must be mailed to Division of Driver Licensing prior to taking CDL permit).
Road (skills) tests: Tuesday from 8:00 am – 10:30 am by appointment only. Please call a week in advance to schedule your appointment.
Motorcycle (skills) test: Second and Fourth Tuesday at 10:30 am by appointment only. Please call a week in advance to schedule your appointment.
District Court
Often called, “the people’s court” the district court has limited jurisdiction – hearing only certain types of cases. Ninety percent of all Kentuckians who come in contact with the judicial system will appear in District Court. Juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, probate of wills, felony preliminaries and civil cases (with amounts of $5,000 or less) are all heard in District Court. Guardianship and conservatorship for disabled persons are in District Court as well as voluntary or involuntary mental commitments and cases relating to domestic violence and abuse are heard in District Court.
Small Claims Court
There is also a small claims division of District Court to informally handle matters with a value of $2,500 or less. In small claims, a lawyer is not necessary. A citizen can bring his or her own case before the judge at a minimum cost.
Property Valuation Administrator (PVA)
Kay Hall
15 Public Square
Lancaster, KY 40444
Phone – (859) 792-3291
jkay.hall@ky.gov
Hours
Monday: 8 am – 4 pm
Tuesday: 8 am – 4 pm
Wednesday: 8 am – 12 pm
Thursday: 8 am – 4 pm
Friday: 8 am – 4 pm
Saturday: 8 am – 12 pm
The Office of Property Valuation Administration (PVA) is a Kentucky State Office with local jurisdiction. The Garrard County PVA is a locally elected official who is charged with assessing all property, both real and personal, within Garrard County. The PVA was formerly titled “County Tax Commissioner” and is often referred to as the tax assessor.
The PVA office does not set property tax rates, nor do they collect property taxes. The Kentucky Constitution requires equality and uniformity through fair cash value assessments. Fair Cash Value is defined as the price that a piece of property will bring in a fair voluntary sale between a willing seller and a willing buyer.
Section 172 of the Kentucky Constitution requires the PVA to assess all property at 100% Fair Cash Value (FCV) as of January 1 each year. The PVA does not set market value, instead we analyze the market to insure that assessments follow the market value determined by willing buyers and willing sellers.
Kentucky Department of Revenue, a part of the Finance and Administration Cabinet (FAC), is charged with direct supervision of the PVA office. Each year the FAC is required to perform studies in each county to determine if constitutional and statutory requirements have been met.