In March 2026, CivicLex hosted 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.
Get a look at Lexington’s first Civic Assembly!
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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The Civic Assembly members were are group of 30 randomly selected Lexington residents, who closely mirrored the demographics of the entire community in terms of age, race, gender, education, political registration, income, and more.
The assembly members included a pastry chef, a historical researcher, a high school student, a woodworker, an umpire, an actor, and a grandfather. There were lifelong Lexington residents and newcomers, a 17 year on and an 84 year old, and representatives of every Council District in Lexington.
See the demographics of the assembly here.
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Lexington’s first Civic Assembly was organized CivicLex. 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.
CivicLex staff worked with an Advisory Group of local experts on the design of the process:
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
The actual assembly was conducted by CivicLex staff, alongside a team of volunteers, a paid facilitator, and a serious of experts to testify about different topics.
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No! CivicLex spent almost three years fundraising to make the Assembly possible with no local government funding.
The primary role that Lexington’s local government will play in the Assembly is in receiving the recommendations.
CivicLex will present the recommendations of the assembly and proposed charter amendments to Council, and they will need to vote by a 3/5 majority whether or not to place these charter amendments on the ballot.
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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!
What are the recommendations
from Lexington’s First Civic Assembly?
In March 2026, Lexington’s first Civic Assembly convened a group of 30 randomly selected Lexington residents across seven sessions — 33 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Civic Assembly Blog
