City Council approves tax rates, discuss the feasibility of a new homeless shelter

Hopkinsville City Council members were presented with a homeless shelter feasibility study by the Salvation Army and approved property tax rates for the 2025-26 fiscal year at Tuesday’s meeting.

Before the meeting got underway, Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight read a proclamation recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, which is from September 15 to October 15.

Council members approved a slightly lower real property tax rate for the fiscal year. The tax rate is set to decrease from 20.9 cents to 20.2 per $100 of taxable real property. The tax rate for personal property is set to remain at 23.9 cents and the rate for motor vehicle and watercraft property is set to remain 25.1 cents.

Council members also approved repealing the Hopkinsville Solid Waste Enterprise’s Commercial Recycling Program on second reading. Solid Waste General Manager Bryan Silver presented the council with two options to continue commercial recycling services.

Silver says Solid Waste crews could pick up the recyclables like normal garbage, or they could continue providing recycling services until another company is selected to continue the services.

However, if a company is not selected by September 30, the city will be responsible for funding the recycling program, which could cost around $20,000 per month. Silver says 183 companies currently receive commercial recycling services.

Then, turning to homelessness in the city, Hopkinsville Salvation Army officials are considering the possibility of constructing a new homeless shelter. Chris Head, the senior divisional resource development director for the Salvation Army’s Kentucky and Tennessee Division, presented a shelter feasibility study.

For a while, Head says the local shelter has needed repairs and an expansion as the homeless population continues to grow.

Head says the new shelter would combine all of the Salvation Army’s services under one roof. Along with a shelter, the facility would include a food pantry, soup kitchen and a social services office.

In the study, Head says they heard from many local citizens about their thoughts concerning a new shelter. He says many folks thought the Salvation Army should relocate from downtown since it seems like the city is more focused on business development and tourism in the downtown area.

Head says they are considering a couple of new locations, with one of them being near the current location, but further down East 7th Street on the other side of the railroad. The shelter could cost around $8 million.