-
Lexington doesn’t need another tourism tax. It needs answers | COMMENTARY
VisitLex wants more of your money. The publicly funded tourism bureau is asking the Urban County Council to approve a new Tourism Improvement District — a 2% assessment on hotel rooms that would funnel an estimated $2.1 million per year into marketing, consultants, and destination branding. Before the Council votes, it should ask a…
-
City hall vote and city job interview overlapped for former Lexington councilmember
A Lexington city councilmember who voted to create a new senior government position later accepted that same job, interviewing for it during the same week she cast the decisive vote to advance the administration’s $152 million City Hall project. Hannah LeGris, who represented the city’s 3rd District, voted in October to create the Access…
-
Lynn’s proposed vacancy tax faces major legal hurdles under Kentucky law, experts say
Democratic Socialist candidate for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council At-Large Herbert Lynn has pitched a new “vacancy tax” on empty housing units as a signature solution to Lexington’s affordability crisis — a proposal he’s promoted while citing housing figures that do not withstand basic scrutiny. But local experts contacted by The Lexington Times say the…
-
Lexington doesn’t need big-city cosplay — it needs real housing policy | Opinion
I’ll admit it: it’s kind of refreshing to see a candidate show up with energy. In a city where too many campaigns feel like they were workshopped by a consultant who’s never paid rent, the enthusiasm is honestly… enviable. Lexington needs candidates who want to swing at big problems instead of politely circling them.…
-
Big Decisions, No Public Agenda: Stormwater Policy Meets the Dark
On Dec. 5, a group of engineers, planners, academics, and consultants gathered to talk about Lexington’s stormwater future. They discussed wetlands, sewer capacity, growth plans, pollution data, and manuals that will quietly shape how the city grows for decades. They also did it without a publicly posted agenda. That absence wasn’t a clerical oversight.…
-
Analysis: Continuity vs. Change Takes Shape in Lexington’s 2026 Mayoral Race
As Lexington heads toward the 2026 mayoral election, the outlines of a familiar but still-fluid contest are beginning to emerge. At its core, the race is shaping up as a test of whether voters want to double down on experience and continuity—or whether the city’s growth pressures, housing costs, and civic frustrations create an…
-
Council Kills Maxwell Housing While Preaching ‘Affordability’ Back Home
If you listened only to the speeches, you’d think Lexington was about to boldly tackle its housing crisis. Six hours of testimony. Dozens of speakers. Councilmembers invoking “affordable housing,” “historic character,” and “the fabric of our community” like they were auditioning for a planning textbook. And then, with an 8–7 vote, they quietly killed…
-
Reynolds to Step Down After Four Terms, Citing Unsustainable Workload and Pay
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After seven years representing one of Lexington’s most diverse and active council districts, District 11 Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds announced Monday she will not seek re-election in 2026 — ending a tenure marked by community outreach, bilingual engagement, and hands-on neighborhood work. Reynolds, first elected in 2018, said the decision was “extremely…
-
Op‑Ed: The Fayette County school board’s audit vote is too little, too late—Time to prosecute?
The recent decision by the Fayette County School Board to move forward with an external audit might look like progress—but it is not the more in-depth forensic audit the community demanded. What it really confirms is that something is wrong, and those responsible seem more interested in covering it up than in letting the…
-
Lexington’s big new ball sculpture just dropped—why it’s already an Internet meme
Truck‑nuts jokes aside, the $900,000 bonded‑for artwork is set to anchor Courthouse Plaza for Lexington’s 250th. LEXINGTON, Ky. — The city’s next “largest‑ever” piece of public art isn’t fully installed yet, but the punchlines have arrived early. On Reddit, locals have called it everything from “truck nuts for downtown” to “a giant tetherball set,”…