Boone County residents and business owners can now weigh in on how the region invests in jobs, infrastructure, and workforce programs over the next five years.
The Northern Kentucky Area Development District announced Thursday, July 17, that it has launched three online surveys to gather public input for the 2027 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The CEDS is a federally guided plan that steers economic development spending across Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen, and Pendleton counties.
NKADD, headquartered at 22 Spiral Drive in Florence, serves as the U.S. Economic Development Administration's designated Economic Development District for the eight-county region. The agency develops and maintains the CEDS through a process that incorporates input from local governments, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and residents.
What the surveys cover
NKADD released three separate surveys, each targeting a different piece of the strategy:
Primary Survey — Collects baseline feedback on the region's strengths, challenges, and economic development needs. Takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Available at arcg.is/1WHPzr4
Priorities Survey — Asks participants to rank which issues should get the most regional attention over the next five years. Takes about 15 minutes. Available at arcg.is/1qe50z1
Projects Survey — Invites participants to name specific projects in each of the eight counties that could be included in the CEDS implementation plan. Takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Available at arcg.is/0qTf182
All three are open to anyone who lives or works in the eight-county area.
Why it matters locally
The CEDS guides investments in job creation, infrastructure, workforce development, and business growth. For Boone County, where logistics employers cluster around CVG and retail development continues along the Houston Road corridor, the plan can influence which projects receive federal and state support.
NKADD's executive director presented a separate three-year organizational strategic plan to the Boone County Fiscal Court in November 2024, emphasizing more intentional communication with each of the eight counties, according to Fiscal Court meeting minutes. That ongoing relationship between NKADD and Boone County's elected leaders is part of what makes the CEDS surveys relevant locally.
Florence Mayor Julie Aubuchon and City Administrator Joshua Hunt serve on NKADD's Housing Steering Committee, per Florence City Council minutes from December 2025. Housing is among the development priorities the CEDS process evaluates.
What's next
No closing date for the surveys has been announced. The NKADD Board of Directors is scheduled to meet Wednesday, July 23, at noon. The current CEDS is available at nkadd.org/ceds, and residents with questions can contact NKADD at 859-283-1885 or visit nkadd.org.
