As national leaders work to bailout giant banks, local leaders and bank officials gathered today to reassure residents that banks operating in Bowling Green are financially sound.

“I was in a meeting with a group of lenders and heard that they have money to lend,” Mayor Elaine Walker said. “Banks in our region are well-capitalized ... they have reinvested in our community.”

Local banks experienced a growth of 9 percent to 10 percent this past year, and they are ready to lend money, Walker said.

“Businesses who seek finances to carry on business have a bank, and that bank is lending,” Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said.

Local homeowners who need loans should not worry because the funds are available through their banks, he said.

About 10 local bank leaders joined Walker and Buchanon to encourage consumers to have faith in their local financial institutions.

Brad Howard, president of South Central Bank, said banks are flourishing in Bowling Green because they have not made risky, outside investments.

“We’re not taking extraordinary risks,” he said. “We haven’t shut our doors; we’re continuing to do business as usual.”

Similarly, Walker said local investments have helped those banks remain strong.

“They have made investments in Bowling Green and Warren County,” she said. “They’re reinvesting in a strong growth pattern.”

The local economy is strong because job growth continues to exceed job losses, Buchanon said.

And local bankers are considering meeting monthly to discuss ways to help continue that growth.

The announcement comes at a time when consumers nationwide are coping with lost investments and tightened loan requirements.

Howard said many of his customers voiced concerns when news started circulating about large banks tumbling and the stock market plunging.

“About two to three weeks ago, we got calls every day,” he said.

But local panic has subsided for the most part, and consumers need to keep confidence in their banks, Walker said.

“This group is strong,” she said. “... they are still making loans and that is a critical message to get out there.”