Darrell L. Gustafson

Republican 

candidate for 

Magistrate, 
District 4
Darrell Gustafson, 78, of Stratford Court, is a retired bank president for BBT in Hopkinsville. He is seeking his third term as District 4 magistrate. Gustafson is also board chairman for the James E. Bruce Convention Center.

If elected, how would you help address the housing shortage?

I brought forth an incentive program for builders and developers of residential property subdivisions greater than 10 acres. That policy will bring over 250 affordable homes to the market in the near future. Fiscal court also adopted incentives for downtown improvements.

If elected, how would you work together with government, nonprofit and business leaders to encourage economic development?

Bringing both my years of service to the County government alongside my professional background in banking and financial management, if re-elected, I will continue to make fiscally responsible decisions on behalf of the citizens as it relates to economic development. I serve not only as your Magistrate today, but also on the Budget Committee for the Fiscal Court. I believe we need to invest in economic development to help our community. I am proud that during my tenure serving as Christian County Magistrate the investments Fiscal Court has made have not been due to any increase in taxes on Christian County residents. Christian County has welcomed 11 businesses to Hopkinsville spec buildings in my time serving on the Hopkinsville Industrial Foundation. That means 11 businesses have been able to offer jobs and more opportunity in our community. The spec building program we have in Christian County is heralded by the state as a key investment in economic development. The county, the Industrial Foundation and the SWK Economic Development Council need to continue to work together to build infrastructure for companies looking to locate here. It’s also important that we work to develop public-private partnerships like we do on residential developments to encourage more homes to be built to house residents in our community. I don’t believe any of that should be built on the backs of taxpayers, so it’s important we make smart decisions with county finances to encourage economic development.

If elected, how would you support tornado recovery and the development of rural storm shelters?

If the last year or so has taught us anything, it’s that our area increasingly sees a need for storm shelters. Today I support the creation of those safe locations. We are currently in the process of submitting a grant to construct storm shelters in the communities of Lafayette, Herndon, Oak Grove, Pembroke, Lacy, Gracey, Crofton and Fairview. I look forward to continuing work on the creation of these if re-elected magistrate.

If elected, what specific steps would you take to help grow jobs in the area?

In the current market, we have a labor participation rate of 56%. Christian County doesn’t have a jobs problem, we have a shortage of qualified workers. I continue to advocate for early exposure of job opportunities for our area high schoolers before they graduate so they know what opportunities exist right here in Christian County, and what the post-secondary avenues are to get in to one of these careers. I also believe that while we have job openings, we need to continue to diversify our employment opportunities. The introduction of fiber optic broadband internet that is being deployed countywide brings with it expanded employment capabilities. It’s another tool for economic development as it is attractive infrastructure for companies seeking to locate their business in Christian County.

Do you support reducing the county’s tax burden? If so, what steps would you take to make this happen?

During my tenure, our taxes have actually been lowered a bit from 0.187 to 0.186 (2022). Personal property taxes has been reduced from 0.21 to 0.186, an 11% decrease. In that same time, the Consumer Price Index has increased 15.98%. When inflation is at a 40 year high, we cannot hope to reduce property (taxes). What we can do is encourage more growth. Tax base growth is what has allowed us to maintain a low tax level and still see growth. Since 2015, our tax base has grown and produced increased revenue by $1.8 million dollars. If we continue to grow, there might be a future time that would allow for a further reduction in tax burden when inflation returns to a more sustainable level. During my time as magistrate, we have continually reviewed our various operations and look for opportunities to reduce expenses of county government at all levels, while we search for opportunities to increase revenue while not adding additional tax burden to those we represent.

Do you support the establishment of a library tax?

I cannot support any increased tax burden on the citizens of Christian County at this time. Inflation, once thought transitory , now exceeds 8% with no relief in sight. This is not the time to increase taxes.

Is there another issue not addressed in these questions that you believe is extremely important? If so, please explain it briefly.

The reduction of crimes perpetrated on our citizens must be addressed. There must be more emphasis and support to organizations that mentor young men and women to break the cycle of violence and drug addiction in our community.