Budget season rolls on — and this week is packed!
Mayor Linda Gorton delivers her Budget Address for the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. Source: LexTV.
There’s a lot happening this week with the city budget, including several Link meetings and a public hearing on the Mayor’s Proposed Budget.
But first, here’s a quick recap of last week’s Link meetings:
Environmental Quality & Public Works Link
The Environmental Quality and Public Works (EQPW) Link met with Division Directors — including Streets and Roads, Water Quality, Environmental Services — to hear their thoughts on the Mayor’s Proposed Budget. Directors shared what funding requests they were excited to receive and what the Mayor did not fund but that they felt were important for Council to consider.
Councilmembers identified several unfunded requests they want to explore further, including:
An Arborist Technician position in Environment Services
A Chevy Equinox that would be a shared vehicle for staff in the EQPW Commissioner’s office
Additional funding for Lex Grow Trees
These items (and others) will be considered in this week’s EQPW Link meeting as they decide what will be recommended to the full Council. All of these discussion items are very much subject to change throughout the budgeting process.
Social Services and Public Safety Link
The Social Services and Public Safety (SSPS) Link met with Public Safety Divisions, including Police, Fire, Community Corrections, and E911. They did not discuss any recommendations after their calls. This week, they’ll talk with Social Services related Divisions, as well as nonprofit agencies that receive City funding. On Thursday, they’ll reconvene to discuss and finalize potential recommendations.
Upcoming Link Meetings
Link meetings will continue throughout this week! Here is the schedule:
Finance, Economic Development & Planning - Monday, May 5th, 9am - 12:30pm
Social Services and Public Safety - Monday, May 5th, 1:30-4:30pm
Environmental Quality & Public Works - Wednesday, May 7th, 9am - 4pm
Chief Administrative Office & Housing Advocacy and Community Development - Thursday, May 8th, 8:30am - 1:30pm
Social Services and Public Safety - Thursday, May 8th, 1:30-4:30pm
Chief Administrative Office & Housing Advocacy and Community Development - Friday, May 9th, 9am - 12pm
General Government and Services - Friday, May 9th, 1:30-4:30pm
Attending Link Meetings
All Link meetings are held in the Government Center’s Council Caucus Room.
They are open to the public, but are not live-streamed or recorded and don’t have opportunities for public comment.
CivicLex will be at them all, and provide you with free updates through the CivicLex Weekly.
CivicLex’s Budget Database
We’re excited to release CivicLex’s Budget Database for the Mayor’s FY26 Proposed Budget! From the database, you can see a simple view of how the budget is structured, how money is distributed by Division, and then dig into the individual fund structures of each Division. We’ll keep the database up to date as the budget changes during adoption. You can access it here!
Share your thoughts on the Budget
At the start of this Thursday’s Council Meeting, residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on the Mayor’s Proposed Budget during a dedicated public hearing. This is your opportunity to tell Council what you support in the budget — and what you’d like to see changed.
The Public Hearing will begin at 6pm in Council Chambers. You can sign up to speak before the meeting begins.
Can’t attend in person? You can always email your Councilmembers or give public comment at any upcoming Council Meeting or Work Session!
You can learn more about the Mayor’s Proposed Budget here, and learn more in general about the City Budget here!
