Daviess County Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen has officially announced his intent to seek re-election, saying he’s proud of the County’s progress under his leadership and confident in the momentum his administration has built over the past three years.
“I feel like we’ve done a lot of good since I’ve been Judge-Executive, and I’m hoping people will give me another term,” Castlen said. “I’ve been humbled by the support I’ve gotten over the years. I’ve never bought an election, and I plan to run on my record because I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Prior to holding the County’s highest office, Castlen, 63, served 12 years as a County Commissioner. He also previously served 10 years as a City Commissioner, including 8 as mayor pro tem. He said that the combination of experience in City and County governments gives him “a swath of knowledge that probably no other elected official does.”
Castlen highlighted strong job growth and record-setting private investment as points of pride during his current term.
“The truth of the matter is, we’ve had, undeniably, the best economic news since I’ve been Judge-Executive that this county’s ever had,” Castlen said. “We’ve had about $415 million in investments and 727 new jobs announced. Those are excellent-paying jobs, and that’s something I think we’ve done really well.”
He credited policy changes made under his administration, including adjustments to zoning rules along major corridors, with helping spur industrial development.
“That’s proof my approach is working to allow companies to grow,” he said, noting that multiple local firms have benefited from those updates.
Castlen also pointed to fiscal decisions such as the “repeal and replace” policy, which eliminated volunteer fire department dues and replaced them with a 1.1% insurance license fee to provide consistent funding for emergency services.
“We made each of the volunteer fire departments whole, and now we can allocate money on a needs basis,” he said. “Before, we didn’t have that flexibility.”
Castlen added that the Fiscal Court approved the largest property tax cut in two decades, lowering the rate from 12.9% to 12.2%.
On public safety — which he called “absolutely number one” — Castlen said the Fiscal Court has increased support for the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center.
“If you talk to the sheriff and the jailer, I guarantee they’ll say that under my leadership we’ve been very generous and supportive of their needs,” he said. “There’s more patrolling now, more detectives, and more security officers than in years past.”
Castlen acknowledged that the past year has brought politically divisive issues, including controversy surrounding the public library board and animal control operations, but said he tries to approach each situation with fairness and professionalism.
“My job is not to make everybody happy,” he said. “My job is to do the right thing.”
He emphasized his accessibility and commitment to staying connected with constituents.
“My phone number’s in the book. You can Google it and get it,” Castlen said. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anybody I wouldn’t meet with them. I go to a lot of events, and I try to meet people where they are.”
Castlen also referenced infrastructure and quality-of-life projects, including broadband expansion, park improvements, and ongoing support for local organizations — initiatives he wants to continue to build on.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “We’ve got good momentum, and I want to keep that going for the people of Daviess County.”
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