The Lextropolis Magazine
VOL 11 issue 07
The Lextropolis Magazine
VOL 11 issue 07
The Lextropolis Magazine
VOL 11 issue 07
Question 1:
Lexington continues to grow, yet many residents feel priced out of housing in their own city. What specific policies would you champion to expand affordable housing while managing growth responsibly—and how would you ensure long-term residents are not displaced?
I voted in 2014 to form the Affordable Housing Fund, and as Mayor, have funded it annually, now at 1% of previous year’s revenues. I initiated and continue to fund grants for low-income homeowners to repair code violations, enabling them to stay in their homes. Last year I brought to the Council a program for developers to use our government’s Industrial Revenue Bonding to incentivize housing developers to include Affordable Housing in mixed use developments.
Question 2:
It seems that there are more unhoused citizens at off-ramps and stoplights asking for money. If elected mayor, how would you address Lexington’s homeless situation?
I appointed the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness, which will make recommendations for solutions this year. The city annually funds the Hope Center, also a winter warming shelter, and allocated $2M to the newest Hope Center transitional housing addition. We continue to fund the Panhandler Van to pick up those on street corners and pay them to work during the day. I have expanded our Community Paramedicine Program, a program where our paramedics, social workers and mental health specialists assist those on the streets and others who need help but not necessarily emergency assistance.
Question 3:
Public safety remains a top concern for many Lexington families. How would you balance traditional policing with community-based violence prevention, mental health response, and restorative strategies to ensure safety and trust across all neighborhoods?
I have been a long-time advocate for strong public safety because I understand that safety is the foundation of all great communities. We want people to feel safe walking down the street or going to see art or playing in a park with their children. For years our police have trained to be community-focused as well as try to assist people. I have hired all the members of our One Lexington team which has a laser focus on decreasing youth violence. In their work they partner with schools, public safety, residents who volunteer, non-profits and others to mentor, walk the neighborhoods, mediate in the schools, and assist those who have experienced violence and much more. My team worked with University of KY & Eastern State Hospital to open the Empath Center, the first mental health emergency room in Kentucky.
Question 4:
Lexington’s economy is strong in sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and tourism, yet income disparities persist. What is your plan to ensure economic development benefits working-class families, small businesses, minority owned businesses, and historically underinvested communities?
I have been deeply involved with my economic development team, always looking for opportunities to partner with businesses to help them stay strong. During Covid, we offered grants to small businesses because of the dramatic downturn in the economy. I started two programs in our detention center which are changing peoples’ lives. First is our addiction recovery focus and second is partnering with Jubilee Jobs to help inmates who are finishing their incarceration have classes on how to do a job interview, how to write a resume and many efforts resulting in inmates taking a path straight to a job. I have started city-sponsored expungement clinics in conjunction with job fairs. We have just finished our 7th such clinic, successfully leading people to new jobs.
Question 5:
From traffic congestion to public transit and pedestrian safety, infrastructure affects daily life across Lexington. What investments or reforms would you prioritize to improve mobility and overall quality of life for residents?
My government of 3000+ employees is people-focused every day. I prioritize a variety of ADA sidewalk ramps, bicycle and pedestrian trails, and numerous projects related to quality of life. Examples are upgrades to parks, programming and renovations to our community centers, such as those at Dunbar Center, Douglass Park, Cardinal Run North and Carver Center. We have brought arts and culture to many of our community centers. I initiated our first Mobile Food Market in partnership with Kroger, God’s Pantry and our government. It is extremely successful in areas where people do not have grocery stores. This was a result of discussions about health in my Commission on Racial Justice and Equality.
Question 6:
Voters often say they want greater transparency and responsiveness from city leadership. If elected mayor, how would you ensure your administration remains accessible, accountable, and inclusive in decision-making?
I do this in several ways. Some examples are my regular newsletters to residents across Fayette County, my Faith Leaders’ Listening Sessions, my Town Halls about various topics, my social media informational posts, my numerous meetings with residents, as well as continuing to make meetings available on our live stream and website. In appointing Lexington residents to our boards and commissions, I focus on a diverse group of appointees.
Question 7:
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing Lexington right now, and what specific steps would you take to address it?
Lexington is growing, which brings some challenges. In the big picture, our challenge is to continue to attract enough jobs so that our residents can be employed, thereby having the ability to afford housing. Nationwide housing costs have increased dramatically. This extends to having enough Affordable Housing for low-income people. I have regularly funded Affordable Housing, have put into the budget grants for low-income homeowners to fix code violations, funded Solar Lex so residents can participate in receiving grants for roof-top solar, thus lowering their utility costs, and intensively focused building the infrastructure for our Legacy Business Park as well as creating our multi-county Regional Business Park Authority.
Question 8:
How will your administration address youth engagement, recreation, and opportunities for young people in Lexington?
Our young people deserve to grow up in a safe, vibrant community with choices for activities, recreation and a variety of opportunities. I have invested heavily in our parks, making certain they are built with robust input from our young people. We intentionally have many types of programming and activities at the parks as well as our community centers. We also fund our summer youth job program, as well as workforce activities at the middle-school level to educate our middle schoolers as they think about future careers. One Lexington continues to work with youth impacted by violence, not only in the neighborhoods, but also in the schools and in partnership with non-profits, community volunteers and public safety.
Question 9:
What leadership qualities make you the best candidate to serve as mayor of Lexington? And why should residents vote for you?
I love people and have a strong history of bringing people together to accomplish big results! One example was my forward-thinking leadership during Covid, helping our people and businesses manage and stay strong. My experience is second to none–a full career as a Registered Nurse as well as 16 years as a Council Member and two terms as Lexington Mayor, leading our 3000+ employees and our city. There is no substitute for this type of experience, especially as our nation, state and city are experiencing rising costs of housing, utilities, groceries, fuel, as well as other uncertainties. Our residents need a strong, experienced, steady leader like myself, especially now, who has dedicated, people-focused employees.
Question 10:
Why do you want to be Lexington’s next mayor?
I still have work to do to continue to raise the quality of life for all of our people. Given my steady hand and my focus on leading people into the future, I continue to have a passion for my work as Mayor of Lexington.