Is it time to expand the growth boundary? Lexington mayoral candidates give their stance
Two candidates vying for Lexington’s top job gave differing views during a Wednesday night forum on the growth boundary, tackling domestic violence and the use of technology to help police solve crimes.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, who is seeking a second term, told the crowd at the Spectrum building on Winchester Road that Kentucky’s second-largest city needs consistent and experienced leadership.
“This is a seat that requires leadership experience,” Gorton said at the Eastland Parkway Neighborhood Association and Fayette County Neighborhood Council sponsored forum. “I have a very clear record. It’s not vague.”
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber, who is serving his first term on council, said voters have told him they want change at city hall.
“We have problems that are not being addressed adequately,” Kloiber said.
This was the second candidate forum this week for Kloiber and Gorton heading into the Nov. 8 general election. Wednesday night’s forum was much tamer than Monday’s WKYT debate. During the one-hour televised debate, Kloiber and Gorton verbally sparred over Gorton’s record on affordable housing and Kloiber’s wealth.
During Wednesday night’s forum the two differed on a long-standing and often thorny issue: Is it time to expand the city’s urban service boundary or growth boundary?
Gorton said she felt the growth boundary has worked and has made the city compact. Most recently, many have pushed for the expansion of the boundary due to the lack of affordable housing and escalating rental costs. However, Gorton said no affordable housing was created when the city added 5,400 acres in 1996. A little more than half of the land in the expansion area has been developed, she said.
The city has developed a matrix that tracks how much land is needed for housing, retail, manufacturing and office space. That matrix will decide when the city should expand the growth boundary, she said.
Kloiber said too many people can no longer afford to live in Fayette County. It’s time the city adds more housing stock. By adding more housing and housing options, housing prices will start to come down, he said.
Lexington’s revenues largely come from occupational taxes or a tax on wages. To generate more revenue, job growth is key, both said.
Kloiber said he would like to target certain types of companies that are good fits for Lexington — such as “net zero” companies that don’t generate waste.
“We need to go out and intentionally court companies that we want to come here,” Kloiber said. That will take upfront money but could generate lots of revenue in new jobs as well, he said.
Gorton said the city is already in discussions with several companies looking to relocate to Lexington. Under former Mayor Jim Gray, the city created the Jobs Fund, which gives incentives to companies that create high-paying jobs. Gorton said the city is using that fund to help lure and keep jobs in Lexington.
The city is also working to up job training with several different programs to make sure current residents can get jobs, she said.
Tackling a rise in domestic violence
A driving factor in the record-number of homicides in Lexington — 38 to date — is domestic violence, both agreed.
Kloiber said he would like to implement a program called intimate partner violence intervention that targets services to people involved in domestic violence.
“It meets people where they are,” Kloiber said.
Gorton said 12 of the 38 homicides to date involved domestic violence. At the same time period last year, the city had no domestic violence homicides.
A group involving various nonprofits and those that work with intimate partner or domestic violence have identified gaps in services and are working to address those gaps, she said.
Flock Safety Cameras
Under a pilot project, the city installed 25 Flock Safety Cameras, which read license plate numbers and feed it into databases such as missing persons or stolen cars, earlier this year.
Kloiber said he has concerns about the use of the cameras.
“I don’t think they make us safer,” Kloiber said.
If the city continues to use the cameras after the pilot project is completed, it will cost the city north of $250,000. That money may be better spent in other areas, he said. He’s also concerned police may be spending too much time following up on leads from the cameras when they could be doing other things.
Gorton pointed to a recent update provided by the Lexington Police Department that showed the cameras have found 11 missing people, 82 stolen vehicles and have helped provide corroborating information in seven of the city’s 38 homicides.
“I think catching a murder from Detroit is preventing crime,” Gorton said, referring to one of the people who have been arrested after being located using the cameras.
This story was originally published October 20, 2022 at 11:37 AM.
