BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Last year, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a change to what constitutes a Metropolitan Statistical Area, raising the population threshold from 50,000 to 100,000.

With a population of about 74,000 people, the proposal threatened federal funding for Bowling Green. Elizabethtown and Owensboro.

What You Need To Know

  • Last year, the Office of Management and Budget proposed a change raising the population threshold for Metropolitan status from 50,000 to 100,000

  • Metropolitan Status provides crucial federal funding for large communities

  • Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Owensboro were part of the 150 U.S. communities at risk of losing federal funding

  • U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) announced on July 16 that the OMB will maintain the original threshold

That’s why Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott stepped into action, writing a letter to Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressman Brett Guthrie that sparked a movement.

“We were kind of waiting with baited breath, we wrote the letter I think back in February," Alcott said. "We had a new president in the White House and so we were concerned about the future, what this meant or is this a policy change, did we get caught up with the big fish?"

Earlier this year, McConnell and Guthrie contacted acting OMB Director Rob Fairweather expressing their opposition to changes to the population threshold.

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) announced on July 16 that the OMB would maintain the original threshold. That means a chance for Bowling Green to have continued access to federal programs.

“We work with the federal, we work with state, we work with local city, county government to put our efforts together to coordinate our work like with roads like exchanges on I-65 with Exit 20 that went with the trans park, that's a great example of how we coordinate those efforts,” Alcott said.

For one of the fastest growing cities in Kentucky, it’s crucial for future development.

“We do not need to put on the brakes for Bowling Green, especially for our area. Right now, people are looking at us to lead, and to give jobs and to build commerce and build that prosperity, to build that hometown love that we know and all have grown up to see in Bowling Green, Kentucky,” Alcott said.

Alcott said he corresponds with Owensboro and Elizabethtown representatives through the Kentucky League of Cities. He stressed the importance of coming together and keeping their radar up in case of a future similar situation.