# Council addresses $546M budget, pump station debate at work session  
**Published:** 2026-04-14T19:30:00.000Z  
**Source:** [LFUCG Meeting Agendas](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=6745)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/council-addresses-546m-budget-pump-station-debate-at-work-session

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The [Urban County Council convened for a work session Tuesday](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=6745) to consider the mayor's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget and weigh options for a troubled sewage pump station that has plagued west Lexington for years.

Mayor Linda Gorton presented a [$546 million budget proposal that includes no new revenue or tax increases](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/04/14/lexington-mayor-proposes-546-million-budget-fiscal-year-2027/). The spending plan prioritizes [snow and ice response with $5.1 million in funding, police technology improvements, and emergency services equipment replacements](https://news.civiclex.org/lexington-mayor-proposes-new-budget-whats-in-it/).

The central focus of the work session centered on the Mint Lane pump station, located behind Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. [The station must be upgraded to meet an EPA consent decree the city is under for failures to maintain its sanitary and stormwater sewer systems](https://23.1). [Records show the pump station has released more than 13.1 million gallons in sanitary sewer overflows since January 1, 2015](https://22.1).

Acting Commissioner of Environmental Quality and Public Works Charles Martin presented three options for addressing the aging station. The first involves [upgrading the pump station at its current location, which comes with the lowest estimated capital cost at $19.6 million, though there are constructability concerns including karst topography and potential floodplain issues](https://24.20).

A second option would [relocate the station to Bowman Mill Road on Mill Ridge Farm at an estimated cost of about $25 million, placing the pump station outside the floodplain and allowing gravity to assist operations based on the area's topography](https://23.2,23.3). However, [the Bowman Mill option has drawn opposition from residents and advocacy groups, including Fayette Alliance, who fear the relocation could open the door to further development outside Lexington's established Urban Service Area](https://23.7).

The third option would [relocate the station to Blue Grass Airport at an estimated cost of approximately $48 million, making it significantly larger and more complex than the other alternatives](https://23.5,23.6). [Council members decided they wanted more time to weigh their options and agreed to revisit the discussion during an upcoming April 28th work session](https://24.4,24.5).

The council also considered numerous other business items during the 3 p.m. meeting, including [engineering services agreements for stormwater management projects, mutual aid agreements with Clark County, and facility agreements for youth baseball and softball leagues](https://https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=6745). [The council must adopt a new fiscal year budget by June 15](https://11.7), with a [public hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers](https://13.1,13.2).

## Sources

- [LFUCG Meeting Agendas](https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=6745)
- [WKYT: Lexington mayor proposes $546 million budget for fiscal year 2027](https://www.wkyt.com/2026/04/14/lexington-mayor-proposes-546-million-budget-fiscal-year-2027/)
- [CivicLex: Lexington Mayor proposes new budget. What's in it?](https://news.civiclex.org/lexington-mayor-proposes-new-budget-whats-in-it/)
- [CivicLex: Council delays decision on Mint Lane pump station for further review](https://news.civiclex.org/council-delays-decision-on-mint-lane-pump-station-for-further-review/)
- [CivicLex: Council to review relocation options for leaking Mint Lane pump station](https://news.civiclex.org/council-to-review-relocation-options-for-leaking-mint-lane-pump-station/)
- [Lexington Engage: The FY27 Budget Process](https://engage.lexingtonky.gov/fy27budget)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LFUCG Meeting Agendas, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://lfucg.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=6745.