OPINION | By T.W. Shortt Past President of the Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS® and Principal Broker, REALTY WORLD Knox Realty Group, LLC
More than twenty years ago, my experience as a flat-fee broker raised questions about MLS practices that still concern me today: Do the rules strengthen cooperation and protect consumers? Or can they also restrict competition and discourage different ways of doing business?
A new lawsuit brings those questions back into focus.
On October 16, Compass filed an antitrust lawsuit against California Regional Multiple Listing Service, challenging rules that require certain publicly marketed listings to be shared through the MLS. CRMLS had already sued to establish that its rules are lawful.
The central question deserves public attention: Who decides how a homeowner’s property is marketed?
Four Decades of Experience. A Proven Approach. A Better Way Forward.
By T.W. Shortt Principal Broker, REALTY WORLD® Knox Realty Group, LLC
Every day, someone finds themselves facing a real estate problem they never anticipated—and often have no idea where to begin.
The death of a family member. An inherited home. Probate. Family trusts. Divorce. Bankruptcy. Foreclosure. Unpaid liens. Multiple owners. Court-ordered sales. Powers of attorney. Aging parents entering assisted living. Military relocation.
The circumstances differ, but the challenge is often the same: How do we move forward?
These are not ordinary real estate transactions. They involve legal questions, financial obligations, competing interests, emotional decisions, and deadlines that cannot be ignored.
Behind every complicated transaction is a problem that requires more than a real estate sign in the yard.
COMMENTARY | By T.W. Shortt Former Radcliff City Council Member (2015–2016), retired U.S. Army veteran, and longtime Radcliff business owner
Deactivating the 19th Engineer Battalion is more than a military ceremony. It is another change that will be felt beyond Fort Knox—in Radcliff and throughout Hardin County.
According to an October 15 report from Fort Knox News, the battalion cased its colors at the General George Patton Museum of Leadership. The Army described the 19th as Fort Knox’s last major operational unit.
The battalion had approximately 1,000 soldiers at its 2014 peak. Slightly more than 100 remained for the deactivation ceremony. An earlier Army report said approximately 350 soldiers were expected to depart as the headquarters closed and the remaining companies were reorganized.
OPINION | By T.W. Shortt, Past President of the Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS®
Military families moving to Kentucky already face plenty of challenges: finding housing, enrolling children in school, and establishing a new household. A spouse who holds a professional license in another state should not have to start a career over because the military ordered the family to move.
Congress has provided a separate path for qualifying servicemembers and spouses to continue working. The question is whether Kentucky’s licensing procedures fully respect it.
At the Kentucky Real Estate Commission’s October 15, 2026, meeting, which I attended, Action Item 14.1, “Military Portability Licensure,” received brief consideration. The matter was passed over pending further consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice about apparent conflicts between Kentucky’s statutes and federal requirements.
Former Radcliff Councilman, Past President of the Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS®, and local business owner
Economic development requires leaders willing to examine an opportunity, negotiate terms, and decide. Mason County’s agreement with Meta offers Kentucky communities an example worth studying.
While some local governments are pausing data center development, Mason County has pursued a practical question: What can this investment deliver for the people who already live here?
On October 13, the Mason County Fiscal Court unanimously approved a resolution moving forward with an agreement for a proposed Meta data center and technology campus.
Former Radcliff Councilman, Past President of the Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS®, and local business owner
J.J. Duvall talks about long-range planning as though it is a particular strength he would bring to Hardin County government. But voters should ask a straightforward question: Where is the economic development plan he delivered for Radcliff?
Across his years in city government, I have heard promises of planning. I have yet to see the completed, publicly accountable economic development strategy that would justify presenting planning as a demonstrated strength.
Now Duvall wants to bring his Radcliff experience to county government. My response is simple: “Please don’t!”
Experience matters. What a candidate accomplished with that experience matters more.
By Christy Gordon, REALTOR® REALTY WORLD® Knox Realty Group, LLC “The Fort Knox Office™”
Innovation isn’t just about creating something new. Sometimes, it’s about discovering better ways to do what we already do well.
That message was at the heart of the Elizabethtown Business and Innovation Opportunity, hosted by Amplify on October 13 at the Historic State Theater in downtown Elizabethtown.
The event brought together local entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders to explore artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, and resources designed to help businesses grow and thrive.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory welcomed attendees, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship and continued economic development.
By T.W. Shortt, CRS®, CRB®, Principal Broker, REALTY WORLD Knox Realty Group, LLC
Hardin County’s national builders have arrived with a roar—and a financial sales pitch that demands attention. For local builders, competing means more than putting an attractive house on a good lot.
Century Complete has announced new communities in Radcliff, while Fischer Homes is promoting financing incentives that include select homes at Hearthstone in Elizabethtown. These companies bring substantial competition for buyers local builders have served for years.
By TW Shortt, former Radcliff Councilman, co-founder of RSBA, and local business owner.
Hardin County voters heard two approaches to county leadership when J.J. Duvall and Keith Taul answered identical questions during Hardin Local’s October 9 candidate interviews. Both emphasized financial responsibility, public safety, and cooperation. Their answers differed in the experience they cited, the scope of their proposals, and the work they described as already completed or underway.
The following comparison places their comments side by side: what each candidate proposes, how he would pay for it, and what experience he offers as evidence that he can deliver. It is based on their interview statements;
1. Qualifications and experience
Category
J.J. Duvall
Keith Taul
Reason for running
Bring nearly 20 years of Radcliff service and leadership to county government.
Complete longer-term initiatives begun during nearly four years as judge/executive; government work has taken longer than expected.
Government experience
Two council terms, three mayoral terms, and service as economic development, planning and building director under Mayor Mike Weaver.
Nearly four years managing the county government in the office he is seeking to retain.
Professional preparation
Emphasized municipal budgeting, department management, public safety, and working with other officials. Did not describe educational credentials or a separate industry career in this interview.
Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from UK; industrial management at AGC; budget and personnel oversight; consulting and training in waste reduction and problem-solving.
Community background
Family business history; grandfather helped incorporate Radcliff. A dispute over a stormwater fee prompted his first council run.
Dairy-farm upbringing, small-business and hay-farming experience. Concerns about large solar projects prompted his first campaign.
Leadership approach
Relationships, collaboration, problem solving, and hands-on involvement with department heads.
Trust, Christian faith, data-driven decisions, patience, and continued attention to public safety.
Assessment: Duvall offers longer elected municipal experience. Taul offers direct experience in this county office, plus preparation in technical and industrial management. Length of service alone does not establish which candidate has delivered better results.
2. Public safety proposals and delivery
Category
J.J. Duvall
Keith Taul
Fire-services proposal
An initial $100,000 automatic-aid program connecting city fire departments and county volunteers to respond faster to critical emergencies.
Five-year, $17.5 million fire-services plan, including an emergency services building in Glendale; longer-term development of a county fire department.
How it would work
Dispatch participating city firefighters automatically to qualifying incidents rather than waiting for subsequent assistance requests. Cited declining volunteer participation.
Use a third-party study and work with fire chiefs to address staffing and aging equipment, build the Glendale facility, and develop county service capacity over time.
Funding identified
Recurring savings from discretionary spending, outside contracts, and administration. No specific budget line was named.
Approximately $6.5 million in state assistance for the building. Also cited a $2.7 million annual HMH payment and remaining BlueOval PILOT funds for emergency-service improvements. No complete annual funding schedule was provided.
Preparation already described
Reviewed 2025 emergency runs and discussed costs with mayors and other leaders. Estimated $300-$350 per hour for a four-person crew. Did not describe a signed automatic-aid agreement.
Said a five-year plan had been presented, a third-party study completed, fire chiefs consulted, the Glendale site secured, and water and sewer connections completed.
Ambulance and 911
Evaluate staffing, ambulance locations, response gaps, and dispatch procedures; improve partnerships and resource sharing.
Continue White Mills ambulance and Bullitt County service for West Point; build on computer-aided dispatch improvements. Seek blood availability on ambulance responses by 2030.
Unresolved details
Duvall did not fully explain participating agencies, signed agreements, dispatch criteria, start date, dependable savings, or effects on city coverage.
Annual appropriations, status of state funding, staffing and operating costs, construction milestones, and how near-term response gaps would be covered were not fully explained.
Assessment: Duvall described a narrower initial response measure; Taul described a broader system investment with more preparation already reported. The $100,000 and $17.5 million figures cover different scopes and periods, so they are not competing price quotes for the same service.
3. Finances, growth, and accountability
Category
J.J. Duvall
Keith Taul
Budget management
Start with an intensive review of the inherited budget, then consult department heads and magistrates. Seek savings before adding taxpayer burdens.
Continue balanced budgeting and implement the fire plan without increasing taxes. Emphasized existing reserves and identifiable payment streams.
Financial results claimed
Six consecutive debt-free Radcliff budget cycles; equipment purchases and improved compensation; historically low city property tax rates.
A $14 million increase in county reserves, about 70%; a 7% property tax rate reduction; balanced budgets during his term.
Economic growth claimed
More than $50 million in Radcliff development in the previous year; offered growth as evidence of readiness for county leadership.
Discussed managing county growth and the revised Ford operation; did not give a comparable county development total in this interview.
BlueOval / Ford
Review contracts and obligations; protect public investment; seek measurable commitments and timelines; recruit related industry and coordinate ECTC workforce training.
Said most investment was state and federal; expressed hope for jobs under the revised operation and described work to secure occupational tax receipts from current construction.
Long-range planning
Develop a five- and ten-year infrastructure and capital improvement plan covering priorities, costs, and funding.
Pointed to the existing 2030 Roadmap and five-year fire plan, with fire-system improvements extending beyond the next term.
Public reporting
Proposed annual reports on completed projects, schedules, spending, and financial goals; promised a forthcoming first-100-days document.
Directed voters to the county’s 2030 Roadmap for accomplishments and future plans. Did not spell out a new annual reporting system during the interview.
State advocacy
Use established relationships with legislators, the governor’s administration, and agencies to advocate for priorities and funding.
Described convening legislators, ongoing contacts, and testimony in Frankfort concerning jail funding and House Bill 557.
Roads / infrastructure
Cited maintaining city roads and proposed advance county infrastructure planning.
Claimed 170 miles of new asphalt during his term and cited utility connections at the Glendale emergency-services site.
Financial caution: A lower tax rate does not necessarily mean a lower tax bill, because assessments also matter. Debt-free budgets and reserve growth measure different things. The jail figures in the discussion may refer to total spending versus the county subsidy; the transcript alone does not establish a common basis for comparison.
4. What the interviews show about getting work done
Duvall: Experience in municipal execution
Duvall connected his readiness to a record of financial discipline, equipment purchases, employee compensation, and city growth. Those examples are relevant to managing a county budget and departments. However, he did not give a detailed example of completing an automatic-aid system or a long-range plan with annual reporting. His new county proposals depend on agreements, magistrate approval, and savings that the interview did not fully identify.
Taul: Continuation of county work already underway
Taul linked his request for another term to specific county work: the White Mills ambulance, the Bullitt County arrangement for West Point, a fire-services study and plan, and the Glendale site and utilities. These examples are more directly connected to the emergency-service program he proposes to continue. His industrial background supports his claim that he can analyze costs and manage projects, but it does not prove that the full fire plan can be delivered on time and within budget.
Working through disagreement
Duvall mentioned several disagreements and emphasized good relationships, but did not develop one example with a clear sequence, resolution, and lesson. Taul identified the White Mills ambulance as a difficult undertaking, described months of discussion, and cited patience and communication as lessons. Taul supplied the clearer example of a completed outcome, although neither gave a detailed account of the opposing positions or negotiations.
Overall finding
On the interview record, Taul gave the stronger account of implementation already underway for his central public-safety proposal. Duvall offered a more limited initial fire-response measure and explicitly promised annual project reporting. Both claimed financial competence and pledged cooperation. Neither provided enough detail to establish the full cost, schedule, and deliverability of every proposal.
Questions that would make the comparison decisive
For Duvall: Which agencies have agreed to automatic aid, when could it start, what exact recurring savings would fund it, and how would city coverage be maintained?
For Duvall: Which comparable planning initiative did he complete in Radcliff, and where are the adopted plan, progress reports, and documented outcomes?
For Taul: What is the annual funding and construction schedule for the $17.5 million plan, which state funds are secured, and what staffing and operating costs follow?
For Taul: What response-time targets and public reporting will show that the larger investment produces better service, including before the new facility opens?
For both: Provide budgets, audits, agreements, meeting records, and project reports supporting the financial and accomplishment claims made in the interviews.
Scope note: The host disclosed that Hardin Local’s owner is Taul’s son and used another interviewer for both candidates. The interviews used identical questions. This report assesses the supplied answers and does not infer motives. These transcripts do not establish claims of intentional delay or a desire for salary or retirement benefits.
Source credit: Hardin Local’s October 9, 2026, candidate interviews, hosted by Rebecca Carter. Hardin Local disclosed that its owner, Phil Taul, is Keith Taul’s son. Carter asked both judge/executive candidates the same questions. Summaries and analysis by TW Shortt.
Real estate agents choose their words carefully. A small bedroom becomes “cozy.” An older home has “character.” A finished basement offers “a peaceful retreat.”
But sometimes, the youngest person in the room provides the most memorable description.
Consider this fictional open-house scene.
An agent leads prospective buyers downstairs, pointing out the comfortable seating, soft lighting, and generous space.
“This basement,” the agent announces, “is a peaceful retreat after a long day.”
The seller’s six-year-old looks up.
“That’s where Daddy goes when Mommy sees the credit-card bill.”
Silence.
Daddy studies the ceiling. Mommy folds her arms. The agent briefly considers whether the laundry room might be a safer subject.
