In March 2026, CivicLex will host Lexington’s first-ever Civic Assembly on how changes to council compensation and how often the Charter is reviewed could improve representation, trust, & participation in our local government.
What are the recommendations advanced from Lexington’s First Civic Assembly?
In March 2026, Lexington’s first Civic Assembly convened a group of 36 randomly selected Lexington residents across seven sessions — 36 hours in total — to learn about and deliberate on potential changes to Lexington's Urban County Charter. The assembly considered how changes to council compensation and how often the charter is reviewed could improve representation, trust, and participation in our local government.
The Assembly voted to select a 70% supermajority threshold for any recommendation to be advanced by the Assembly. In the end, they advanced recommendations on both charter review and council compensation, plus an Assembly-created recommendation on accountability. Below are those three recommendations.
Councilmember Compensation
An 84.6% supermajority of the Assembly recommends increasing annual Councilmember pay to $59,987 per year, the average annual wage in Lexington, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Why did the assembly make this recommendation?
The Assembly cited the need to broaden the pool of potential elected officials and encourage more competition in council races. They also believe the increase reflects that the job has changed significantly since its original inception in the Urban County Charter in 1972, and that competitive compensation will lead to more effective governance.
Councilmember Accountability
An 88.8% supermajority of the Assembly recommends that the Charter be amended to mandate that Council create publicly viewable attendance and accountability expectations for the Urban County Council.
Why did the assembly make this recommendation?
The Assembly recognized that the primary legal accountability tool for Councilmembers is reelection, and cited a need to give voters more information about the performance and reliability of their representatives. They also noted that since the job has changed significantly since 1972, expectations for informed accountability should increase accordingly. Finally, the Assembly noted that an increase in compensation -- should that occur -- should be accompanied by greater transparency and accountability.
Charter Review
An 88.8% supermajority of the Assembly recommends that the Urban County Charter be reviewed every eight years by a deliberative body of residents selected by representative lottery. The Assembly also recommends that Council create a new standing board or commission to surface potential needed changes to the Charter between review cycles and to facilitate each eight-year review. They further recommend that public input be required as part of any Charter review and that the review process itself be subject to a time limit.
Why did the Assembly make this recommendation? The Assembly cited the need for regular, public review of the Charter through a participatory process as essential to keeping local government structures responsive to constituent needs over time. They also believe that a review body of everyday residents that is demographically representative of Lexington would avoid the perception or reality of a conflict of interest that could arise if the Urban County Council were to review the Charter itself. Finally, the Assembly believes that other parts of the Charter are outdated and in need of review.
Minority Report
While all of the Assembly’s recommendations were approved by a supermajority vote, none were unanimous. CivicLex is working with Assembly members who did not vote to advance and approve these recommendations to produce a Minority Report summarizing their dissenting opinion and justifications, which will be available in late April, 2026.
What should I know about Lexington’s first Civic Assembly?
Lexington’s first Civic Assembly brought together 36 community members to learn, discuss, and recommend changes to the Urban County Charter (it’s like our local constitution), specifically about Council compensation and how often the charter is reviewed.
We want this Civic Assembly to be accessible, transparent, and include everyone. You can look at the blog on this page for all of the assembly updates and resources.
Share your perspective!
You can submit a comment about the assembly topics or the process overall here. This will help the assembly members understand how the public feels and inform their discussions! Assembly members will be given written copies of all comments and summaries at the beginning of each session.
Where to watch
You can watch the assembly sessions live and find recordings of sessions here.
You can also come watch in person! All of the sessions are on Transylvania University’s campus. There will be limited seating available, so registration is required if you’re watching in person. The full session schedule with registration links can be found by clicking the button below.
Civic Assembly Updates
Dispatches from Lexington’s first Civic Assembly!
We asked five of the 30+ members, all of them Lexington citizens selected at random, to share what the experience was like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Civic Assemblies are a new concept to Lexington — we’re here to answer your questions!
We know that the concept of a Civic Assembly may feel a bit confusing, so we’re here to answer any other questions you may have. We’ll continue to populate the list below with questions that we receive from the public about the process. Don’t hesitate to reach out to info@civiclex.org with any additional questions.
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Lexington’s first Civic Assembly is being planned by CivicLex staff and an Advisory Group of external experts:
Catherine Annis, Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky Martin School
Joshua Douglas, Acting Associate Dean for Research & University Research Professor; Ashland, Inc-Spears Distinguished Research Professor of Law, University of Kentucky; CivicLex Board Member
Andi Johnson, Chief Policy Officer & Director of Regional Engagement, Commerce Lexington
Susan Lamb, Fayette County Clerk
David Lowe, Fayette County Commission, Parks Advisory Board Member
Christian Motley, Vice President, Partnerships and Community Impact, Results for America
Abby Piper, Founder & Managing Partner, Piper Smith
Martin Rivers, Senior Services Commission Member
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CivicLex is a local nonprofit based in Lexington. We are focused on strengthening the civic health of our community. We help you get involved in local issues, connect with your neighbors, and have a say in decision making. We want to make sure Lexington is able to solve any problems we face, together. Learn more about us here.
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The primary role that Lexington’s local government will play in the Assembly is in receiving the recommendations. That said, we expect that current and former LFUCG officials will be asked to provide testimony and help Assembly members understand the scope of what Charter changes could mean.
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CivicLex has spent the past year fundraising to make the Assembly possible with no local government funding. -
Any changes to Lexington’s Charter have to be approved by a ballot referendum (a chance for the entire city to vote for or against any changes). If the assembly decides on any recommendations to change the charter, they will be reported out to Lexington’s Urban County Council. Council has committed to publicly receiving and responding to any recommendations the assembly will make. Council will also be able to vote whether or not to place the changes on the ballot. If the changes are placed on the ballot, they will have to be adopted by a majority vote in Lexington’s 2026 election. It’s a long road to change the Charter, but this Assembly is the first step in the process!
