Lexington's budget season begins: How you can weigh in

Lexington's budget-making season is kicking into high gear, with Mayor Linda Gorton expected to lay out her priorities in a budget address Tuesday, April 14th.

It will take place at 3 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Lexington's Government Center, located at 200 East Main Street. Recordings are also typically made available on LexTV, in case you can't catch the address live.

The Mayor's address marks the public-facing phase of Lexington's annual budgeting process. It serves as a starting point for Lexington's Urban County Councilmembers to recommend and develop their own ideas for the city's spending priorities.

Going forward, Councilmembers will be meeting with the city's departments and divisions as they work with the Mayor to finalize a budget. The city needs a budget in time for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1 and ends June 30 the following year.

If you'd like to follow the process and advocate for local issues you care about, here's what to know:

How does Lexington's budget process work?

Lexington's budget-making process has already been underway for several months. It begins in the early part of the year, when LFUCG departments and divisions submit their funding requests to the Mayor's Office, typically based on last year's amounts. Based on those requests, the Mayor and her staff draft a budget, which is later presented in a televised speech.

In April and May, Councilmembers meet with each division and department in what they call "link" meetings. There are 5 links, each with 3 Councilmembers. During these meetings, Councilmembers speak with city departments about funding priorities and any needs that weren't addressed in the Mayor's budget proposal, as explained by Engage Lexington.

On April 21st, Councilmembers will meet together for the first of three scheduled Committees of the Whole, or COW meetings. During these meetings, the links present their changes, the Mayor can make requests, and Councilmembers can propose changes. The process ultimately shapes the budget that Council votes on. For a final budget to be adopted, it needs to undergo a first and second reading.

How to weigh in during the budgeting process

There are also opportunities for you to weigh in on the budget while it's being developed. These include:

• Fill out Council's budget survey, which is available on Engage Lexington. The survey closes Friday, April 17th.
• Speak in person during public comment sessions at upcoming Council Work Sessions or Council meetings. You can find calendar dates for those here.
• The Mayor will also hold a public budget hearing on May 14th at 6 p.m. You can find more details on that here.