On Tuesday afternoon, Lexington City Council Members approved Mayor Linda Gorton’s $473 million budget — the largest budget in city history — with a vote of 12-2. The budget will go into effect July 1 and is an 18% increase over the current budget of $401 million.
We know number crunching is not everyone’s cup of tea — so we’re bringing you a breakdown of some of the biggest numbers + important projects we can expect to see in the next year.
🤝 Community
- Council approved Extended Social Resource Grants for 35 social services agencies totaling $3.8 million in these key categories — Overnight Emergency Shelter, Community Wellness & Safety, Childhood & Youth Development, and Food Insecurity & Nutritional Access. View the full list.
- One Lexington, the city’s violence prevention program, received $375,000.
- Mayor Gorton allotted $260,000 for a new mobile food grocery store for neighborhoods that have limited access to food.
🏗️ Development
- $3 million fund to give zero interest loans for developers to build infill projects
- Nonprofits have access to a $1 million program to turn abandoned property into affordable housing.
🏙️ Infrastructure
- We can rest assured that potholes won’t be a problem thanks to $15 million that can be spent on paving roads.
- Various infrastructure improvements will come to the Distillery District with the help of $750,000.
- $172,658 for to improve safety with enhanced lighting around Tandy Park in downtown
📋 Council changes + additions
- Added a total of $13 million to the budget including — $2 million for paving, $5 million for additional pay to retain public safety employees, $2.5 million to study the Versailles Road corridor, and more.
Be sure to keep an eye on CivicLex’s budget resources page + feel free to dive deeper into each section of the Mayor’s Proposed Budget.