Why former vice mayor Linda Gorton wants Lexington's top job and what she's promising

Linda Gorton has likely spent more hours in Lexington's council chamber than any other candidate in the May 22 primary.

Gorton served 16 years on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. When she retired in 2014, she was the city's longest-serving council member.

The mother of two and grandmother said she was encouraged to ditch retirement and get in the open race for mayor after current Mayor Jim Gray announced he would not seek a third and final term.

It's her experience, but also the way she works, that sets her apart from the other candidates in the crowded race for mayor, Gorton said.

"I operate in the open ," Gorton said. "I am transparent. I build a consensus. But I'm also not afraid of controversy. I am not afraid to make tough decisions."

Gorton, 69, is a registered Republican but said she sees herself as an independent.

Background

An Ohio native, she moved to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky. A registered nurse, she is married to Charlie Gorton, a retired major general in the Army.

Gorton spent the early years of her marriage moving frequently for her husband's career. That included stops in Korea and Germany, where Gorton learned both German and Korean.

The Gortons eventually returned to Lexington and made it their home.

Experience

Gorton first ran for office in 1998 to represent the 4th Council District, which includes neighborhoods such as Lansdowne and Glendover. She served four terms as a district council member and one four-year term as an at-large member. In 2010, she received the most votes in the at-large race and became vice mayor.

Under Gorton's tenure as vice mayor, the council tackled some long-standing problems. It made changes to employee health insurance, passed ordinances to set up an affordable housing fund, authorized a new homeless coordinator, re-worked the way it doled out grants to social-service agencies, approved domestic partner benefits for city employees and lifted a ban on election-day alcohol sales.

Gorton also pushed for the indoor smoking ban ordinance in 2003, which she sees as one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation the city has passed. Lexington was the first city in Kentucky to do so.

Gorton said her ability to work with the council and the community will help Lexington face some unique challenges in coming years.

"This is one of the most important races for mayor in a long time. We have a growing and aging population," Gorton said in a May 7 mayoral forum. "We have financial uncertainties. We have greater competition for our labor force and the economy and new threats to safety and health."

The city is facing a steep increase in its pension payments to the state in coming years. At the same time, occupational taxes, or taxes on jobs, have flattened out after years of growth.

"As a registered nurse, I am used to triage," Gorton said during a May forum. "I know how to prioritize, just like I prioritize my household budget. I would increase tourism to bring in more dollars and increase jobs by building our internet and high-tech so we can attract those kinds of businesses."

Jobs

Gorton said she supports some of Gray's initiatives, such as the Jobs Fund, which gives grants or loans to businesses to create high-paying jobs.

"But what we need is a full-blown strategy," Gorton said. "There are a lot of different groups that do economic development. But all of those groups — including Commerce Lexington, UK, and the small business community — need to focus on what types of industry and what types of jobs Lexington needs."

In particular, she said Lexington should focus on expanding its health care economy and high-tech farming.

Crime and drugs

Lexington had a record-number of homicides last year, which is tied to the rise of opioid abuse, she said.

"It's every where. It's a scourge," Gorton said. " If we don't address it, it will take us down. We have to be intentional and together in addressing it."

Police and emergency workers are only part of the solution, she said. More rehab options are critical, since some people overdose, are revived by naloxone but are not referred directly to treatment, she said.

"If you are addicted to opiates, you can not do it by yourself," Gorton said.

Gorton said she understands how budget constraints led Gray to hit pause on his plan to hire 30 more police officers in the coming year and create a fourth police sector. But the city must figure out a way to add more officers in coming years, she said, even if it takes more than one year.

"Everyone has agreed that it's needed, but it's a matter of resources," Gorton said. "But we need to keep our eye on the mark. We are not getting smaller. We are growing at about 30,000 people per decade. We will need (additional officers)."

Growth and development

Gorton supports keeping the current growth boundary and has long been a champion of the Purchase of Development Rights program, which uses taxpayer dollars to purchase conservation easements to protect farmland.

Gorton said she supported using taxpayer dollars to purchase conservation easements for Castleton Lyons, a more than 1,000 acre farm which is owned by a Irish citizen who does not qualify for federal conservation funding.

Federal funds typically pay for half of those conservation easements.

The council ultimately decided in 2017 not to spend $5 million in city money to purchase the conservation easements. Many on council said they were not comfortable spending that much city money on one farm when the city had other needs.

Other council members said they were also concerned the farm owner did not qualify for federal funding.

Gorton said the program is set up to preserve prime farmland, regardless of who owns it. Castleton Lyons pays occupational and property taxes and like other horse farms, provides a boost to the local economy, she said.

Gorton also said she supports increasing the amount of money spent on affordable housing. Currently, the city allocates $2 million a year.

Minorities

Gorton is calling for beefing up job-training programs for minorities and providing more resources for the city's diversity officer.

"We need to revive the Mayor's Training Center or a similar program to make sure minority populations are included," Gorton said. "We need to bolster the recently established diversity officer position. We must assure that person serves as an ambassador to under-represented communities and we must week out employers that have succeeded in hiring a diverse workforce."

Gorton also said the city needs to ensure it hears from all members of the community and includes "thoughtful appointments to boards and commissions made in consultation with community leaders."

New city hall?

The next mayor must also decide whether to replace aging city buildings with a new government center.

Gorton said three different mayors have proposed a new city government center: "that speaks to the need."

"That government center has more than $22 million in deferred maintenance," Gorton said. "We are going to come to a point where we are going to have to build a new one or lease one. The difficulty is the cost. "

The city is still paying off debt from other capital projects, such as $22 million in city money to revamp the old courthouse and possibly up to $30 million for a proposed expansion of the Lexington Convention Center.

"If we can't afford it now," Gorton said. "Then we need to figure out a timeline and figure out when some of this other debt is rolling off."

This story was originally published May 18, 2018 at 10:16 AM with the headline "Why former vice mayor Linda Gorton wants Lexington's top job and what she's promising."