Civic Assembly to present recommendations on charter review, Council pay

After deliberating on issues of Councilmember pay and how the city's charter should be reviewed over time, Lexington's first Civic Assembly is set to present its recommendations at April 28th's General Government and Planning Committee.

In March, the randomly-selected and demographically-diverse group of Lexington residents met several times to discuss and develop their recommendations, with CivicLex organizing and facilitating the sessions.

Ultimately, the group advanced three proposals for Council pay and charter review. Based on its own rules, each proposal needed 70% of votes cast to be approved by the group.

Local voters could get the chance to weigh in on the group's recommendations later this year – if Council agrees to place them on the ballot.

The Tuesday, April 28th General Government and Planning Committee meeting will be the first opportunity Councilmembers have to formally review the recommendations.

What is the Civic Assembly recommending for Council pay and charter review?

As the presentation to Council will show, each of the Civic Assembly's recommendations passed with 84-88% of votes cast. The presentation also includes proposed ballot language for each recommendation.

The recommendations include the following:

1. Council compensation: Increase Councilmember pay to $59,987 a year, the average annual wage in Lexington according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Every year the amount would change according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and if ultimately approved by voters, would be implemented in 2031.
2. Charter review: Under the Civic Assembly's proposal, the city's charter would be reviewed every 8 years, with the review subject to a time limit and a public input requirement. A standing committee of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government would advise and form a commission of 36 Lexington residents, selected by a representative lottery. This would be in addition to existing Charter review options.
3. Accountability: The assembly also advanced a recommendation that the charter be amended to mandate that Council creates publicly viewable attendance and accountability expectations for the Urban County Council.

What's next for the Civic Assembly?

Council previously committed to publicly receiving and responding to any recommendations the Assembly makes.

The April 28th General Government and Planning Committee meeting will be Councilmembers' first opportunity to do so. They may have questions or thoughts about the process and the recommendations the Civic Assembly developed.

Changes to Lexington's charter – essentially the city's constitution – must be approved by a ballot referendum, which means putting it before local voters.

Getting there requires the Council's approval. If Council decides to place the changes on the ballot this year, it will take a majority of Lexington's voters to officially adopt them.