Brent Cooper is the president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Northern Kentucky’s strength lies in recognizing that Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties—and the 37 cities within them—are linked together as one place. Our elected leaders, at all levels, should not only continue to embrace that reality, but actively work to reinforce it. Why does it matter? Because how well we collaborate and advocate together shapes daily life in NKY, and directly influences our economic impact on the Commonwealth.
While the state defines the Northern Kentucky region as eight counties, (Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen and Pendleton), there is an unmistakable “unofficial” NKY Metro, much like Louisville Metro or Lexington/Fayette. The NKY Chamber was founded on that idea decades ago, recognizing that our “unofficial” metro (Boone, Kenton and Campbell) is the second largest in Kentucky.
A simple comparison makes the point clear. When you overlay Lexington/Fayette County onto Boone, Kenton and Campbell, nearly all our cities fall within the same footprint. Lexington/Fayette has about 330,000 residents. When Northern Kentucky stands together, we are 410,000—equivalent to Lexington/Fayette plus Bowling Green combined.
Regional collaboration has already proven its value. Together, we work to address issues of health, tourism, transportation, economic development, homelessness, workforce challenges and addiction—issues no single city or county could address alone. Not one of our cities represents more than 10% of the whole.
Still, more opportunity exists. In a region the size of Lexington/Fayette, we maintain 21 fire departments, more than 27 police departments, three 911 systems and 34 public works departments, along with numerous park systems and tax structures. I’m not suggesting these services must disappear; in many cases, local control produces outcomes that communities value. But we should consistently evaluate where collaboration can reduce costs and improve results.
Click here to share your opinion
The Silver Grove school district’s merger with Campbell County is a powerful example. Taxes dropped—many by half—property values rose, and student outcomes improved. It was a difficult decision, but a smart one. There are many “Silver Grove” opportunities across our region.
We’re seeing fire departments come together in Campbell County, and 2 fire departments just joined forces in Boone County. We should be thanking those leaders who helped make it happen, and celebrating the wins.
It’s a reminder that collaboration doesn’t mean losing identity. The Louisville Metro still has nearly 80 jurisdictions. They’re having their cake and eating it too! Northern Kentucky can maintain its small-city character while sharing services like public works, police, fire or parks, when it makes sense.
Speaking with a unified voice also strengthens our advocacy. For example, Boone County’s voice of 130,000 people isn’t as strong as our collective voice of 410,000. When Northern Kentucky agrees and stands together, we’ve got a much better chance of getting what we want.
In order to speak with a unified voice, we need everyone to understand how regional issues can impact our local communities and the economy overall. What happens at CVG affects Fort Thomas. What happens at the NKY Convention Center affects Florence. What happens at NKU and Gateway affects Newport and Covington. We are one place, and we need to share those stories.
That’s the heart of the OneNKY effort—promoting collaboration, consistency and recognition of our collective economic power. When you see “One NKY – Stronger Together,” that’s what it means.
Northern Kentucky truly is stronger together. Our state motto says, “United we stand. Divided we fall.” Nowhere in Kentucky is that more true than here. Let’s continue moving toward a more united approach—one that saves tax dollars, strengthens our voice, and helps the rest of the Commonwealth see our region the way we already know it: as one of Kentucky’s major metros and an economic powerhouse.
