LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington's first Civic Assembly presented its recommendations to the General Government and Planning Committee on April 28th after deliberating on issues of Councilmember pay and how the city's charter should be reviewed over time.

The 36-member assembly, organized by CivicLex and funded independently with no local government funding, advanced three proposals for charter amendments. Each of the Civic Assembly's recommendations passed with 84-88% of votes cast.

The most significant proposal would increase Councilmember pay to $59,987 a year, the average annual wage in Lexington according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the amount changing yearly according to the Consumer Price Index and implementation in 2031 if approved by voters.

A second proposal would establish mandatory charter review every 8 years, conducted by a standing committee that would form a commission of 36 Lexington residents selected by a representative lottery. The assembly also advanced a recommendation that the charter be amended to mandate that Council creates publicly viewable attendance and accountability expectations for the Urban County Council.

CivicLex wanted community input on two issues affecting the city: how often Lexington's charter should be reviewed and whether to adjust pay for city council members, after several stepped down over the past year. In March, the randomly-selected and demographically-diverse group of Lexington residents met several times to discuss and develop their recommendations.

Any changes to Lexington's Charter have to be approved by a ballot referendum. Council has committed to publicly receiving and responding to any recommendations the assembly will make and can vote whether 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.