MAYOR GORTON’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Jobs, jobs, jobs
Economic development remains a top priority for me.
Our ongoing success is reflected in our sound economy – our cost of living remains relatively low, while per capital and median household income are climbing. More people are working in Lexington than ever before.
- In December 2018, the month before I became Mayor, 163,272 people were working in Fayette County. Last December, in 2025, 172,598 people were working in Fayette County … a difference of 9,326 jobs!
- Unemployment numbers have remained low throughout my 8 years in office.
- We have invested in the future through the establishment of two new industrial parks. We estimate Legacy Business Park will create 1,400 new jobs.
- And we are working to bring new ag-tech businesses to Lexington and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.. Agriculture now contributes $2.6 billion to our economy. I believe we can grow that number by becoming an international hub for ag-tech business.
Safety first
To be a successful city … a place where people want to live, work, raise a family, get an education, visit, shop … first requires that we be a safe city. In Lexington, we are building our success on a foundation of strong public safety.
- Crime rates are dropping in our city.
- We are keeping our young people, ages 10-29, away from gun violence. Since 2021, the city has reduced violence involving young people by 60%
- Advances in technology, throughout our public safety divisions have helped fuel this progress.
- Reduced response times in our fire department.
- Additional ambulance on our streets.
- Firefighters now perform whole blood transfusions at the scene, saving lives,
- Expanded Community Paramedicine program, adding a Crisis Response Team, building on an already unique, multidisciplinary approach to care that includes firefighters, paramedics, law enforcement, social workers, and counselors.
Safety first is a way of life in Lexington.
Affordable housing – action, not talk
There has been a lot of talk in our community about affordable housing. Meanwhile, I’ve been focused on building it, not talking about building it.
- Working with our partners, the city has created almost 4,000 affordable apartments, townhouses or houses since 2014, investing $60 million in public dollars to leverage a $490 million investment from the private sector.
- Since I became Mayor, our city’s annual investment in affordable housing has grown steadily, now topping $5 million.
- We have also taken many steps to make it more attractive for developers to build workforce housing, as we work to provide a greater supply of housing to meet all needs.
That’s solid action!
A roof overhead
Since 2020 we have spent $50 million to address homelessness in our community. That funding has provided shelter for hundreds of people, and effectively ended veterans homelessness.
- Like many cities, we continue to see increases in the number of unhoused people here. My Task Force on Homelessness is currently examining best practices in other cities, and will recommend creative approaches for Lexington.
Protecting our farmland
Since 2000, our Purchase of Development Rights program has preserved over 33,000 acres (think 25,000 football fields) – 304 farms – for continued farming, in perpetuity.
- Last year, I started a successful Small Farms Program that allows preservation of farms from 10 to just under 20 acres.
- Agriculture is a $2.6 billion industry annually for Lexington’s economy. Agriculture and agri-business employs 1 in 12 local residents.
- The horse farms we are internationally famous for also drive our growing tourism business. Travel and tourism had a $1.7 billion impact on our economy in 2024, and employed almost 12,000 residents.
Parks for all to enjoy
New parks, a new aquatic center, new playgrounds, new trails, and improved sports courts and community centers … as Mayor, I have made many important investments in parks all over town.
- In 2025, we opened Cardinal Run North, the first new large regional park our community has opened in 25 years.
- We welcomed Kelley’s Landing in 2025, providing Lexington’s first public access to the river.
- We also reopened Douglass Aquatic Center in 2025 with a new pool and pool house.
- A reinvented Phoenix Park opened downtown in 2025, to rave reviews.
Our parks are a force multiplier for quality of life.
Senior life
- As vice mayor, I successfully advocated for a much needed Senior Center, which we built in 2016 off Richmond Road. It opened 33 years after we opened our original Senior Center. Just a decade later, I’m opening another new senior center, this one in Shillito Park.
Seniors are a growing part of our community, and our senior centers are popular places to visit, learn, exercise, and enjoy.
Veterans welcome here!
As a member of a military family - my husband, Charlie, is a retired Army Major General, and both of my children are part of active-duty military families - military service means a lot to me, and to many people.
- Since 2019, we have established new programs, services, recognitions, and opportunities for our active-duty service members, our veterans, and their families, including Veterans’ Unity Point, a resource and service center; a street banner program to celebrate military service; Veterans Day now a city holiday; home of the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame ceremonies; and much more.
Downtown, everyone’s neighborhood!
We all love our downtown – it’s everyone’s neighborhood! Therefore, we work hard to keep downtown safe and active through investments in public safety, parks, activities, and new facilities.
- We keep downtown active through a variety of public activities. With support from R.J. Corman, I brought the 4th of July Fireworks back to downtown. The government also supports the Pride Festival, Thriller, and other fun events.
- We expanded the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, and added new public art downtown.
- We have invested in downtown parks, reinventing Phoenix Park, adding new attractions at Charles Young Park and Northeastern Park, and upgrading the area around Gatton Park, a privately funded destination park.
The lights stay bright in downtown Lexington!
New Government Center
We have been planning for a new Government Center for several years, developing a responsible budget, saving our money and studying our space needs.
- Through a public bidding process, we found the Truist Bank building on Vine Street, and are currently working on architectural plans to see if we have a good fit.
Our government currently operates out of a 106-year-old building, which was bought as its “temporary home” in 1982.
The current building does not serve the public well. It is very difficult to access if you have mobility issues, and the Council Chamber is too small for a growing community of 325,000. Parking is difficult.
In addition, upkeep of this historic building is very costly. We estimate we are facing $55 million in deferred maintenance alone.
Safer streets
We all want safe streets, and our government is actively involved in developing standards to make our streets safer for everyone … drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians through our Complete Streets Plan.
- To address one of the most dangerous stretches of road in our community, a section of New Circle Road North, we won the largest federal grant in the government’s history – $22 million. Design work on these improvements is underway.
BEATING BACK A PANDEMIC
I am the only Lexington Mayor who has faced a pandemic in modern history. Working calmly and decisively, I beat back the dangerous virus that sought to take our very lives. I brought our city together to face a common enemy, led testing and vaccine initiatives, headed up a public awareness campaign, took steps to protect seniors, and ensured underserved neighborhoods were included. Almost 70% of our citizens 18 and over are already vaccinated … a rate that exceeds state and national numbers. As new variants of COVID-19 threaten our City, Lexington needs the leadership of a healthcare professional.
RACIAL JUSTICE
Lexington faced fundamental questions of justice in 2019, with racial protests continuing for 59 days. I immediately formed the Commission for Racial Justice and Equality, involving 70 residents served on my Mayor’s Commission for Racial Justice and Equality. I challenged it to create empowering solutions that dismantle systemic racism in our City. Lexington is well on its way to implementing many of the commission’s recommendations, with more to come.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Like most cities across the country, Lexington has seen an increase in violence on its streets. I have met the challenge head on by hiring additional neighborhood resource officers, reaching out to youth, and involving social workers, mental health professionals, and the faith community.
BRINGING BACK OUR ECONOMY
Fall-out from COVID-19 slowed economic activity in Lexington to a crawl. Relying on my experience, I held the line and helped our city regain its financial footing, without raising taxes and while keeping the cost of living low. Our economy is now soaring and hundreds of new good-paying jobs are coming on line.
TAKING CARE OF OUR HOMETOWN
We invested in infrastructure, road paving, and parks in all corners of our community.