Trust Donates Quarter Million Each to Three Local Entities

Recently a trust managed by Steve Hillhouse donated $250,000 each to the Fayette County EMS, Fayette Sheriff’s Department and La Grange Fire Department. Along with the donations, Hillhouse issued the following statement through the county judge’s office: “For several years I have managed a charitable trust established by my deceased business partners Roland Hook, Lorilla Hook and myself. The objective of the trust was to provide financial assistance to worthy individuals and organizations. Fayette County has been a blessing to me, my deceased partners, my companies, my employees, friends and family for many years. We are fortunate to live here. I have never been public about any charitable contributions or donations to Fayette County organizations before now. I have decided to make contributions to the emergency services that serve and protect Fayette County in the amount of $250,000.00 each to Fayette County EMS, Fayette Sheriff’s Department and La Grange Fire Department. These funds are earmarked to contribute to the purchase of necessary equipment for these services.

“These contributions have been pledged as I recently became aware from county budget meetings that Fayette County was severely underpaying its EMS and Sheriff’s Department personnel by 8 to 15% in comparison to all our surrounding Counties. This is a disgrace and should be an embarrassment to every citizen of the county and more so to the County Commissioners that have been fighting tooth and nail like petulant children over the budget. Fayette County is arguably the most prosperous and fastest growing county in the region. Due to this growth and the aging demographics of the citizens of Fayette County it is necessary to expand and improve funding for first responders. The same commissioners that oppose adequately funding emergency services have been in office and in control of the counties purse strings for many years. During that time, Fayette County has lagged behind our neighboring counties in funding critical emergency services. It is my opinion that there has been a lack of fiduciary responsibility and poor stewardship of the county’s resources for several years and I also believe that if certain commissioners had been forward thinking about the county’s growth and needs instead of funding their pet projects, there would not be any dispute over budgets.

“We have a very professional, dedicated and competent group of people serving our county in emergency services and a county as prosperous as ours should not be attempting to cheapskate its critical employee’s needs.

“I am proud to live in Fayette County and appreciate the dedication and efforts of our law enforcement, EMS and fire departments. The civil servants working as first responders should be appreciated, respected, adequately paid and well equipped. That is the reason I am making this donation.”