Clark County Government

THE CITY....

The City of Winchester has had the City Manager-Commission form of government since 1969. The Board of Commissioners, made up of the Mayor and four Commissioners, is the Executive and Legislative branch of our municipal government. The Mayor and Commissioners are elected at large, on a non-partisan basis. The Mayor serves a four-year term and the Commissioners serve two-year terms. All executive authority rests with the Mayor. All legislative authority rests with the Board of Commissioners.

The City Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer of the City, and is appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The City Manager is responsible for the enforcement of all policies and ordinances adopted by the Board of Commissioners and the efficient, economical and orderly running of City Government.

The Human Resource/Risk Manager and the Purchasing Officer are staff to the City Manager. The Human Resource/Risk Manager is responsible for all areas of the Human Resource functions of the City and is the Administrator of Benefits and Risk Management. The Purchasing Officer serves as Purchasing Coordinator for the City.

The City Attorney is appointed by the Board of Commissioners and serves as Legal Advisor and Counsel to the Board.

The City Treasurer heads the Finance Department. The City Treasurer is responsible for receipts and disbursement of all municipal funds and the collection of all taxes and fees of City government.

The City Clerk, a position required by law, is responsible for preparing and recording the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Commissioners and the safe keeping of all official records of City government.

The Director of Development Services heads the Planning and Community Development Department. That department is responsible for administering and enforcing the Building and Zoning Codes and Ordinances and enforcing the Electrical Code. This department is also responsible for Comprehensive Land Use Planning.

The Chief of Police is appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The Police Department's mission is to serve and protect the lives and property of the citizens of Winchester. In doing so, the Department identifies and combats crime. It also educates and encourages the public to have a safe community. The Police Chief also supervises County-wide Emergency Dispatch and the Enhanced 911 System.

The Fire Chief heads the Fire/EMS Department. The mission of the Fire Department is to provide City-wide Fire Protection and county-wide Emergency Medical Advanced Life Support Services. The Fire Department performs that mission through Fire Inspection and Fire Prevention activities.

The Public works Director heads the Public Works Department. This department is responsible for Street Maintenance, Public Drainage, Public Improvement Projects and City Vehicle Maintenance.

City Government Structure

To contact an official in the Winchester City Government, visit this page.

THE COUNTY.... James Clark Judicial Center

Each county in Kentucky is required to have a Fiscal Court comprised of a County Judge and 3 to 8 Justices of the Peace or a County Judge and 3 County Commissioners. Clark County is one of 104 counties in Kentucky which have a Fiscal Court system, comprised of a Justice of the Peace or Magistrates.

The presiding officer of the Fiscal Court is the County Judge-Executive, who is responsible for the managing of the county government. The County Judge has no judicial power, but does have the authority to form a council or combine any county department or agency. All this must be submitted to the Judical Court.

The Fiscal Court is comprised of seven Magistrates who are elected every four years by voters of their district. They vote on all county business that is brought before the Fiscal Court.

County residents can attend Fiscal Court meetings and can even make a presentation to the Court about matters that concern their district.

Also serving on the Fiscal Court are the County Clerk, the County Attorney in the capacity of legal advisor, the County Treasurer, and a representative from each county department. Some of the department heads who would be attending the Fiscal Court meetings would be the Sheriff, the Jailer and Road Supervisor.

Clark County Government