Daviess County Sheriff Brad Youngman says the County needs a tool to address improper parking and abandoned vehicles in areas seeing increased congestion. He’s helped craft an ordinance that will do just that, and it will go before Fiscal Court for a first reading this week.
Youngman said the County has never had a general parking ordinance, even though the City of Owensboro and many other jurisdictions do. As neighborhoods and business areas in the county become denser, he said deputies are responding to more complaints — from blocked mailboxes to vehicles parked too close to intersections.
“It’s not something that I would say is a huge problem in Daviess County, but it is something that we don’t currently have,” Youngman said. “This is just another way we’re trying to address people’s concerns and provide them the service they feel they’re entitled to.”
Under the ordinance, deputies would be able to issue citations to the registered owner of a vehicle found in violation, even if the driver isn’t on scene, and could impound vehicles when necessary. Youngman said deputies would still use discretion, often starting with warnings, particularly in areas where parking habits have gone unchecked for years.
The ordinance outlines specific violations and fine amounts, all civil penalties separate from state citations. Fines range from $15 to $25, with late fees doubling the total if unpaid after 30 days. Included violations are:
• Parking in a marked handicap space without authorization — $25, or $50 late
• Parking facing the wrong direction — $15, or $30 late
• Parking in a posted no-parking zone — $15, or $30 late
• Parking within six feet of a driveway or mailbox — $15, or $30 late
• Abandoning a vehicle on a roadway — $15, or $30 late
• Blocking access to a right-of-way — $15, or $30 late
Youngman said some of these problems create real disruptions, including mail carriers skipping delivery when a mailbox is blocked, congested neighborhood streets where emergency vehicles struggle to pass, or low-speed collisions when cars are parked too close to intersections.
He noted that handicap parking remains a personal priority because people who genuinely need accessible spaces often find them misused.
The ordinance also establishes an appeals process. Vehicle owners would have seven days to pay the fine or request a hearing before a newly created Impoundment Hearing Board. If a vehicle is impounded, the owner may post a bond to retrieve it before the hearing. The board must hold the hearing within 10 business days — or within 72 hours if the owner cannot afford the bond — and can either uphold or overturn the impoundment. Decisions may then be appealed to Daviess District Court.
If approved, the ordinance would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. Youngman said his office would likely begin with a short warning period to educate residents before enforcing the new fines.
“We don’t want to overburden people,” he said. “If you can work something out without cutting paper, that’s always the preferred outcome. But there are areas where this is a big problem, and we need a way to address it.”
