Greg Burrell, who came to county government as treasurer during the Great Recession and has served through a period of local economic growth, will leave county government this week after 16 and a half years to become a commercial lender for Farmers Bank and Trust.

“I’ve been on the other side of banking quite a bit throughout my career … and I felt like it was the right time for a change,” he said.

Burrell came to the county in January of 2009, his first job after graduating from Western Kentucky University in December 2008.

Burrell said when he came in, the country was still in the middle of an economic recession. Money was tight and growth in the county was very limited, something he said did not start to turn around until 2013 and 2014.

“My first ever budget — off the top of my head, I’m going to guess it was around $30 million,” Burrell said. “Which at the time seemed like a huge budget.”

As the economy recovered, growth returned to Warren County. Although things were turning around in the early 2010s, he said it took until “2015 or 2016” for things to really take off.

On July 1, magistrates gave final approval to the FY2026 budget which, at just over $81.3 million, represents the county’s largest budget ever. Burrell believes before long, the county will be knocking on the door of a $100 million budget.

He said from his perspective, he likes seeing the county grow economically, especially since it is “controlled growth.”

“It’s not like it’s out-of-control growth,” he said. “Ours has been pretty controlled and I think most would agree that it’s been a blessing to live in Warren County.

“We’ve set up a pretty high bar, and that’s something I’m proud of, and I know Judge (Executive Doug) Gorman and the magistrates in fiscal court are proud of as well,” he said.

Speaking on some accomplishments during his more than a decade and a half in county government, Burrell said one is lowering the county’s property tax rate, which went down from 14.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 14.4 cents.

Additionally, Burrell said he is proud of Bowling Green’s downtown Tax Increment Financing district, saying it is coming up on $500 million in capital investment since its creation in 2008.

“Being treasurer not only here but also the treasurer for (the TIF) board, we’ve gotten a lot of great things accomplished,” he said.

Growth has not been without its challenges. Burrell said this has included things associated with increased development in the county, like meeting infrastructure needs.

However, Burrell believes “those are challenges that are welcomed.”

“It’s better to be in a situation where you have those challenges versus trying to figure out how to create growth, because there is none,” he said.

Gorman, who has worked with Burrell since taking office in 2022, said he is excited for Burrell’s transition into banking and spoke on what his presence has meant over the past two and a half years.

“He has been a great and loyal treasurer but, more than that, also a friend,” Gorman said.

Gorman said as an elected official, one of his primary responsibilities is working to develop the county’s budget. To this end, Gorman said it is important to have someone who can “understand your goals and your mission.”

Burrell’s last day is July 31, and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Kenworthy will serve as interim treasurer for 90 days. Overall, Burrell said it has been a great opportunity to work with the county for over 16 years.

“It’s been very fun and I’ll miss it,” he said.