Chet Hand

All life is to be protected from conception to natural death.

The family is the building block of all flourishing societies. Protecting the rights of parents to direct their children’s upbringing, education, health, and moral development is paramount to a healthy and thriving society. I oppose any regulation or government intervention that interferes with those rights and I support all efforts to increase the autonomy and independence of families within our community.

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Politicians often fundamentally misunderstand what “shall not be infringed” means. As a free people, we should have zero regulation of ownership, licensing, and carrying of personal firearms.

• Growth is necessary and inevitable in a thriving and vibrant community like Boone County, but poor growth planning jeopardizes residents’ quality of life and negatively affects our community partners in the long run. I support more strategic long-term goals defined by targeted metrics and growth objectives as well as greater transparency, communication and community involvement in setting our vision and plan for the future. I support preservation of agricultural land and collaboration between the county and state to maintain economically viable farm production.
• I support free enterprise and small business. People should have every opportunity to start, maintain and grow businesses within our county and region without unnecessary and burdensome regulation by government. I oppose overregulation and monopolistic behaviors that stifle entrepreneurship and family businesses.

I have and will continue to fight to keep government within its proper lane. I oppose the creeping expansion of government programs, functions and bureaucracy that serve only to drain and burden the taxpayer.  I support deregulation at both the macro and micro levels as they relate to the lives of our residents.

I have voted to lower our property taxes every year I’ve been in office and argued at the Fiscal Court to lower them even further. I support lower taxes across the board and am always looking for ways to protect seniors, low-income property owners and other at-risk groups through innovative tax relief programs. I support the eventual elimination of property taxes in the Commonwealth; people should own their property, not lease it from the government.

A healthy region promotes a healthy Boone County. While I am primarily concerned with addressing the needs of Boone County residents, I recognize the importance of strong regional and state partnerships so that we are moving forward across the board and not just in an isolated corner.  As commissioner and future judge executive, I have built and maintained strong partnerships with our Northern Kentucky legislative delegation, other counties and regional partners in areas of economic development, fiscal and social policy and infrastructure development.

What do the next 30 or more years look like for Boone County?  The challenges and opportunities we will face around growth, taxation, population demographics, policy and infrastructure will require a new strategy and a more proactive approach to anticipating community needs and friction points. I will continue to fight for transparency in county government, listening to our residents and stakeholders and balancing the needs of today with the expectations of tomorrow. I envision a county with lower taxes, smaller government, less regulation, and proactive infrastructure planning and development.