Lexington, Kentucky

General information

Mayor:| Linda Gorton
Mayor party:| Nonpartisan
Last mayoral election:| 2018
Next mayoral election:| 2022
Last city council election:| 2020
Next city council election:| 2022
City council seats:| 15
City website
Composition data (2013)
Population:| 308,428
Gender:| Female 50.8%
Race:| White 75.7%
African American 14.5%
Asian 3.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 0.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Ethnicity:| Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Median household income:| $48,779
High school graduation rate:| 88.7%
College graduation rate:| 39.9%
Related Lexington offices
Kentucky Congressional Delegation
Kentucky State Legislature
Kentucky state executive offices

Lexington is a city in Fayette County, Kentucky. In 1974, the governments of the city of Lexington and Fayette County were combined to create the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.[1] The city's population was 308,428 as of 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau.[2]

Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...

* Mayor
* City council
* Other elected officials
* Elections
* Census information
* Budget
* Contact information
* Ballot measures

## Contents

* 1 City government
* 1.1 Mayor
* 1.2 City council
* 1.3 Fayette County Constable
* 1.4 Fayette County Commission
* 1.5 Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District
* 1.6 Other elected officials
* 2 Mayoral partisanship
* 3 Elections
* 3.1 2020
* 3.2 2019
* 3.3 2018
* 3.4 2016
* 3.5 2014
* 4 Census information
* 5 Budget
* 5.1 Fiscally standardized cities data
* 5.1.1 Historical total revenue and expenditure
* 5.2 Lexington, Kentucky salaries and pensions over $95,000
* 6 Contact information
* 7 Ballot measures
* 8 Noteworthy events
* 8.1 2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd
* 8.2 2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws
* 9 See also
* 10 External links
* 11 Footnotes

## City government[edit]

See also: Mayor-council government

The city of Lexington utilizes a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.

### Mayor[edit]

See also: List of current mayors of the top 100 cities in the United States

The mayor is the city's chief executive. The responsibilities of the mayor include proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors , and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. The mayor also holds veto powers and represents the city on the state, national, and international levels.[3][4] The current Mayor of Lexington is Linda Gorton (nonpartisan). Gorton assumed office on January 6, 2019.

### City council[edit]

See also: List of current city council officials of the top 100 cities in the United States

The Lexington City Council, which is more commonly known as the Urban County Council, is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, approving mayoral appointees, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances.[5]

The city council is made up of 15 members. Three are elected at large to serve four-year terms, while the other 12 are elected by the city's 12 districts to serve two-year terms.[5]

* Click here for a current list of council members

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Lexington City Council At-large | Chuck Ellinger II | Nonpartisan | 2019 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council At-large | Steve Kay | Nonpartisan | 2011 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council At-large | Richard Moloney | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2015 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 1 | James Brown | Nonpartisan | April 6, 2015 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 2 | Josh McCurn | Nonpartisan | 2019 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 3 | Hannah LeGris | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2021 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 4 | Susan Lamb | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2015 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 5 | Liz Sheehan | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2021 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 6 | David Kloiber | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2021 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 7 | Preston Worley | Nonpartisan | 2017 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 8 | Fred Brown | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2015 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 9 | Whitney Elliott Baxter | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2021 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 10 | Amanda Bledsoe | Nonpartisan | January 4, 2015 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 11 | Jennifer Reynolds | Nonpartisan | 2019 | January 2, 2023 | Lexington City Council District 12 | Kathy Plomin | Nonpartisan | October 5, 2016 | January 2, 2023

### Fayette County Constable[edit]

* Click here for a current list of county constables

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Fayette County Constable District 1 | Wade McNabb | Democratic  | 2019 | 2023 | Fayette County Constable District 2 | Kenneth Winburn | Democratic  | 2019 | 2023 | Fayette County Constable District 3 | Edward Sparks | Democratic  | 2015 | 2023

### Fayette County Commission[edit]

* Click here for a current list of county commissioners

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Fayette County Commission District 1 | Robert Pattie | Republican  |  | January 2, 2023 | Fayette County Commission District 2 | Doug Rigsby | Democratic  |  | January 2, 2023 | Fayette County Commission District 3 | Chrysanthia Carr-Seals | Democratic  | 2019 | January 2, 2023

### Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District[edit]

See also: Special districts

Special districts are a form of local government that exist to fulfill a specific purpose within a certain geographic area. This region can be as large as a county or smaller than a city block. Special districts have the power to tax their local residents in order to fund operational expenditures. Although a special district may be formed for any stated purpose, the most common examples include library, hospital, transportation, airport, utility, conservation, sanitation, fire control, and flood control districts.

The Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District is an agency tasked with assisting and educating landowners about the environment.[6]

* Click here for a current list of county soil and water conservation district members

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Barbara Bentley | Nonpartisan | January 1, 2021 | January 1, 2025 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Allen Carter | Nonpartisan |  | January 1, 2025 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | John James | Nonpartisan | January 1, 2019 | January 1, 2023 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Damon Miller | Nonpartisan | January 1, 2019 | January 1, 2023 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Matt Miniard | Nonpartisan | January 1, 2019 | January 1, 2023 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Angie Quigley | Nonpartisan |  | January 1, 2025 | Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District Board | Christopher Rowe | Nonpartisan |  | January 1, 2025

### Other elected officials[edit]

* Click here for a current list of other county officeholders

Office

| Name | Party | Date assumed office | Date term ends

|
|
|
|

Fayette County Attorney | Larry Roberts | Democratic  | August 15, 2006 | 2022 | Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk | Vincent Riggs | Democratic  | 2013 | 2024 | Fayette County Clerk | Don Blevins Jr. | Democratic  | 2009 | 2022 | Fayette County Commonwealth's Attorney | Lou Anna Red Corn | Democratic  | 2016 | 2024 | Fayette County Coroner | Gary Ginn | Democratic  | 2003 | 2022 | Fayette County Executive | Don Blevins Sr. | Democratic  | 2019 | 2022 | Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator | David O'Neill | Democratic  | 2009 | 2022 | Fayette County Sheriff | Kathy Witt | Democratic  | 1999 | 2022 | Fayette County Surveyor | Gary Roland | Nonpartisan | 2019 | 2022

## Mayoral partisanship[edit]

See also: Party affiliation of the mayors of the 100 largest cities

Lexington has a Republican mayor. As of November 2021, 63 mayors in the largest 100 cities by population are affiliated with the Democratic Party, 26 are affiliated with the Republican Party, four are independents, six identify as nonpartisan or unaffiliated, and one mayor's affiliation is unknown. While most mayoral elections in the 100 largest cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party. Click here for a list of the 100 largest cities' mayors and their partisan affiliations.

## Elections[edit]

### 2020[edit]

See also: City elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2020)

The city of Lexington, Kentucky, held general elections for urban county council districts 1 through 12 and four soil and water supervisor positions on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 23, 2020. The filing deadline for urban county council candidates was January 10, 2020, and the filing deadline for soil and water supervisor candidates was June 2, 2020.

### 2019[edit]

See also: Municipal elections in Fayette County, Kentucky (2019)

Fayette County, Kentucky, held general elections for Kentucky Circuit Court 22 4th Division on November 5, 2019. If a race had multiple candidates for a party nomination, a primary was held on May 21, 2019. The deadline for candidates to file to run in this election was January 29, 2019.

### 2018[edit]

See also: Municipal elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2018) and Mayoral election in Lexington, Kentucky (2018)

The city of Lexington, Kentucky, held general elections for mayor, city council, county commission, other county positions, and local judgeships on November 6, 2018. The primary was on May 22, 2018. The deadline for candidates to file to run in this election was January 30, 2018.

### 2016[edit]

See also: Municipal elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2016)

The city of Lexington, Kentucky, held elections for city council on November 8, 2016. Since no more than two candidates filed for any given district, there were no primary races. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 26, 2016.

### 2014[edit]

See also: Municipal elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2014)

The city of Lexington, Kentucky, held nonpartisan elections for mayor and city council on November 4, 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 28, 2014.[7] All fifteen city council seats were up for election.

## Census information[edit]

The table below shows demographic information about the city.

Demographic data for Lexington, Kentucky (2015)

| Lexington| Kentucky
Total population:| 308,306| 4,424,611
Land area (square miles):| 284| 39,486
Race and ethnicity[8]
White:| 76%| 87.6%
Black/African American:| 14.5%| 7.9%
Asian:| 3.5%| 1.3%
Native American:| 0.3%| 0.2%
Pacific Islander:| 0%| 0%
Two or more:| 2.9%| 2.1%
Hispanic/Latino:| 6.9%| 3.3%
Education
High school graduation rate:| 89.8%| 84.2%
College graduation rate:| 41.2%| 22.3%
Income
Median household income:| $49,778| $43,740
Persons below poverty level:| 18.9%| 22.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)

## Budget[edit]

The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. The mayor is responsible for proposing the budget. The city council must then approve the budget. The city council also holds hearings to allow for public input in the budget process.[9]

### Fiscally standardized cities data[edit]

The fiscally standardized cities (FiSC) data below was compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to make municipal budgets comparable across cities in the United States.[10]

“  |

FiSCs are constructed by adding revenues and expenditures of each central city municipal government to a portion of the revenues and expenditures of overlying governments, including counties, independent school districts, and special districts. The allocations to FiSCs are estimates of the revenues collected from and services provided to central city residents and businesses by these overlying independent governments. Thus FiSCs provides a full picture of revenues raised from city residents and businesses and spending on their behalf, whether done by the city government or a separate overlying government.[11]

|  ”

|
|

—Lincoln Institute of Land Policy[12]

The tables below show estimated finances within city limits. As such, the revenue and expenses listed may differ from the actual city budget.

| Revenue in 2017

Revenue type | Amount
Total Revenue  |  $1,249,187,590
General Revenue | $1,138,545,452
Federal Aid | $59,305,004
State Aid | $186,394,464
Tax Revenue | $687,225,673
Charges & Misc. General Revenue | $205,617,113
Utility Revenue | $3,795,290
Liquor Store Revenue | $0
Employee Retirement Trust Revenue | $106,850,045

| Expenditures in 2017

Expenditure type | Amount
Total Expenditures | $1,159,916,740
General Expenditures | $1,061,220,014
Education Services Expenditure | $466,542,505
Social Services and Income Maintenance Expenditure | $26,838,808
Transportation Expenditure | $44,219,765
Public Safety Expenditure | $167,491,554
Environment and Housing Expenditure | $188,920,395
Governmental Administration Expenditure | $105,820,488
Interest on General Debt | $42,713,799
Miscellaneous Expenditure | $18,672,699
Utility Expenditure | $31,887,471
Liquor Store Expenditure | $0
Employee Retirement Trust Expenditure | $66,425,570
Intergovernmental Expenditures | $386,883

#### Historical total revenue and expenditure[edit]

To see the historical total revenue or expenditures as a rounded amount in this city, hover over the bars.[10]

### Lexington, Kentucky salaries and pensions over $95,000[edit]

Below is a map of the nationwide salaries and pensions in this city over $95,000. To search a different ZIP code, enter it in the search bar within the map.

## Contact information[edit]

Mayor's office
200 E. Main St.
Lexington, KY 40507
Phone: 859-258-3100

Click here for city council contact information.

## Ballot measures[edit]

See also: Fayette County, Kentucky ballot measures

The city of Lexington is in Fayette County. A list of ballot measures in Fayette County is available here.

## Noteworthy events[edit]

### 2020: Events and activity following the death of George Floyd[edit]

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

During the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, demonstrations and protests took place in cities nationwide, including Lexington, following the death of George Floyd. Events in Lexington, Kentucky began on Friday, May 29, 2020, at the Fayette County Courthouse.[13] No curfews were issued. The national guard was not deployed.

### 2015: Study on city's nondiscrimination laws[edit]

See also: Employment nondiscrimination laws in Kentucky

In July 2015, the Movement Advancement Project described Lexington, Kentucky, as a city or county that prohibited discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity via ordinances that apply to public and private employers. At that time, a total of 71 of America's largest 100 cities prohibited private employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, while 69 of those cities also prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. This did not include those jurisdictions that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for government employees.[14]

Nondiscrimination laws can cover a variety of areas, including public employment, private employment, housing, and public accommodations. Such laws may be enacted at the state, county, or city level.

## See also[edit]

|  Suggest a link

|

* Cities in Kentucky
* Fayette County, Kentucky
* Largest cities in the United States by population

## External links[edit]

* City of Lexington
* Office of the Mayor
* City Council
* City Charter and Code

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Lexington-Fayette Urban County City Charter, "Sec. 1.01. - Merger of County and City Governments; Creation of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government; Name.," accessed September 9, 2014
2. ↑ U.S. Census, "State and County Quick Facts," accessed September 9, 2014
3. ↑ Lexington-Fayette Urban County City Charter, "Article 5. - The Mayor," accessed September 9, 2014
4. ↑ City of Lexington, "Mayor's office," accessed September 9, 2014
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 City of Lexington, "Urban County Council," accessed September 9, 2014
6. ↑ Fayette County Conservation District, "About us," accessed February 19, 2019
7. ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2014 Kentucky Election Calendar," accessed January 31, 2014
8. ↑ Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
9. ↑ City of Lexington, "Adopted Budget - FY 2021-2022," accessed August 10, 2021
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities database," accessed June 4, 2021
11. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
12. ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities," accessed May 26, 2021
13. ↑ WKYT, "People protest in downtown Lexington against police brutality," May 29, 2020
14. ↑ Movement Advancement Project, "Local Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinances," accessed July 7, 2015

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