LEXINGTON, Ky. — The General Government and Planning Committee approved three recommendations Monday from Lexington's first Civic Assembly, advancing proposals on council compensation, accountability and charter review that could appear on the November ballot if the full council supports placing them before voters.

The Civic Assembly, organized by CivicLex, a local nonprofit focused on strengthening civic engagement, brought together 36 randomly selected residents in March to deliberate on changes to the city's governing charter. Each of the three recommendations passed with 84-88% of votes cast, exceeding the assembly's own 70% threshold.

The proposals would increase council member pay to $59,987 annually—the average wage in Lexington—with adjustments tied to inflation starting in 2031. The compensation issue had divided the community in earlier surveys, with 43% favoring a raise and 42% preferring the current $40,000 salary.

The assembly also recommended mandatory charter review every eight years by randomly selected residents and requiring the council to create publicly viewable attendance and accountability expectations. Charter changes must be approved by voters through ballot referendum before taking effect.

The committee vote was unanimous on each proposal, with Vice Mayor Dan Wu making the motion to refer the recommendations to the full council. Some council members raised concerns during the discussion about the compensation increase and accountability implementation specifics, but the committee moved forward with the referral.

The full Urban County Council is expected to vote next on whether to place the amendments on the November 2026 ballot. Council has previously committed to publicly receiving and responding to assembly recommendations. If approved for the ballot, the proposals would require majority voter approval to become law.