LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved a slate of expenditures and administrative actions during a work session on Monday, including authorization for a $1.3 million fire apparatus and initial planning for an expansion of a tax incentive financing project at the Red Mile harness racing track.

The council voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of a custom Pierce Enforcer Pumper fire apparatus from Atlantic Emergency Solutions, Inc. for a cost not to exceed $1,343,000, with funds already budgeted for the purchase. The vote comes as the city continues to invest in fire department equipment upgrades.

The body also moved to schedule a public hearing for an expansion of the Red Mile TIF project, a tax increment financing initiative that allows the city to commit portions of newly generated taxes to fund public infrastructure improvements. Tax increment financing is a state program that allows developers to apply a portion of newly generated taxes from an area to pay for a project's public infrastructure.

The council also approved the abolishment of the Opioid Abatement Commission, though the action sparked discussion. The Opioid Abatement Commission was created in order to recommend appropriate uses for proceeds received regarding the National Opioid Litigation activities. Vice Mayor Dan Wu questioned how opioid settlement funds will be handled after the commission's abolishment. Chief of Staff Scott provided a detailed explanation addressing the council's concerns.

Other approvals included a $150,000 art project grant for Gatton Park, a $98,175 sole-source contract with Emergent for nasal Narcan spray for overdose prevention efforts, and agreements with the Downtown Lexington Partnership and Charter Communications for service provisions. The council also approved the LexTran FY2027 budget, which includes a balanced operating budget of $39.3 million and a capital plan of $9.3 million, according to FY2027 budget presentation materials.

Public comment raised concerns about the opioid fund allocation, with Trevor Davis expressing worries that funds were being over-allocated to an interest-bearing account rather than being deployed to address the current crisis.