Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights) speaks at the event on Oct. 3, 2024. Photo provided | Robert Stivers' Office of Communications

Elected leaders from the Northern Kentucky region and around the state gathered on last week to celebrate the roughly $1 billion in state money allocated to Northern Kentucky institutions during the most recent legislative session.

Although several state officials attended the event, all eyes were on Sen. Chris McDaniel (R-Ryland Heights), who chairs the Kentucky Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and who had spent the weeks leading up to the event touring the organizations that either directly benefited from the allocations or would be eligible to receive funding.

“I’ve been on the ground in Kenton County, seeing firsthand how these funds are being utilized to make a difference,” McDaniel said. “These budget victories are about building strong communities. We have allocated unprecedented one-time funding to support the most vulnerable members of Northern Kentucky and to help our economy continue to thrive. The resources going to victims’ advocacy programs, healthcare and child welfare will have a lasting impact on families across our region.”

Beneficiary programs include the following:

  • $807 million directly to Kenton County for utility and other preparatory work related to the Brent Spence Corridor Project
  • $30.63 million to Sanitation District 1 and the City of Erlanger for Stevenson Road project
  • $125 million to the Kenton County Fiscal Court for Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence, which will see the relocation of NKU’s Chase College of Law and a branch of the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine to the Central Riverfront Development site in Covington
  • $45 million for victims’ advocacy programs
  • $20 million to CVG
  • $12 million to the Life Learning Center’s drug treatment and rehabilitation program
  • $10 million to the City of Covington for infrastructure at the Central Riverfront site
  • $6.5 million to Holly Hill Child and Family Solutions
  • $6 million to Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky
  • $6 million to Kenton County Fiscal Court for SparkHaus
  • $5 million to Kenton County Fiscal Court for brownfield site readiness
  • $2.5 million to Covington Life Science Center
  • $1 million to Covington Partners for Wrap Around Services at Covington Schools
  • $500,000 to the City of Taylor Mill for sewer expansion study on Locust Pike

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