Lexington to review city charter for time in 27 years. Here’s how to get involved
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Civic Lex will select 36 residents for a March civic assembly via lottery.
- Assembly will study two charter topics chosen from a resident survey by Dec 31.
- Assembly recommendations go to council; council may put changes on 2027 ballot.
About 10,000 Lexington residents will receive a postcard this week urging them to apply for the city’s first-ever civic assembly to decide if changes should be made to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s charter, which dictates everything from council term limits to redistricting.
The application process will be open until Dec. 31, said Kit Anderson, deputy director of Civic Lex, which is organizing and overseeing Lexington’s first-ever civic assembly.
The 10,000 residents who receive the postcard were randomly selected. Those who apply to be part of the March civic assembly will be selected through a lottery process. The 36-people selected will be a cross-section or representation of Lexington, said Richard Young, the executive director of Civic Lex.
Civic Lex, a nonprofit with a focus on civic engagement, wants a broad cross-section of people to participate, not just people who routinely show up at city hall to weigh in on various issues.
“We wanted to make sure we included people who sometimes are not always included,” Anderson said.
The civic assembly will meet in March at Transylvania University. There will be multiple week-night sessions and some weekend sessions. Transportation and child care vouchers will also be available for people who need them. Participants will also receive $1,200 stipends, Anderson said.
Civic Lex estimates it will take about 30 hours of participants’ time.
Transportation and child care are common barriers for people who may want to participate in government but can’t, Young said. That’s why the organization is offering the child care and transportation vouchers as well as the $1,200 stipend.
Civic Lex convened a trial civic assembly of 16 people in July. Not only did the civic assembly work, the participants reported other benefits beyond developing policy.
“They got to meet people who they would not have had the opportunity to meet and learned things about the community they didn’t know,” Anderson said. “They bonded very quickly.”
Civic assemblies, who bring representative but random groups of people together to tackle a policy issue, have been used in Europe and Canada.
There is a growing push to use them in the United States.
“Civic Assemblies have been used more than 700 times around the world to help communities navigate varied and complex public issues,” said Young. “This is the first time Lexington will host one, and we’re eager to see how this model can deepen trust between residents and local government – and inspire a culture of civic engagement by giving Lexingtonians the opportunity to directly shape how our local government works.”
The Lexington charter review civic assembly is believed to be the first of its kind in the country run by a local nonprofit, Young said.
Merged government charter has not been reviewed since 1998
The last time the merged government charter, which was approved by voters in 1972 and took effect Jan. 1, 1974, was reviewed was in 1998.
A charter review group convened by Commerce Lexington recommended the city council move to 8-year terms. The change was put to voters and was defeated, Young said.
Civic Lex is also asking all residents to participate in an online survey to determine which topics in the charter the civic assembly should tackle.
The seven topics the survey covers include:
- Number of council districts. There are currently 12 council districts and 3 at-large, or city-wide, council seats.
- Term years. Council district seat terms are every two years. At-large council districts are four-year terms.
- Term limits. The city currently limits council members to 20 continuous years.
- Public Engagement. The charter currently does not require public input on council decisions.
- Council pay. Council pay is for part-time work. Most council members make about $40,000 a year.
- Charter review. The current charter is silent on when the charter should be reviewed.
- Redistricting. Council currently appoints a committee to oversee redistricting every 10 years.
How changes are made to a city charter
The survey will narrow the topics to two.
The deadline to participate in the survey is Dec. 31.
After the March civic assembly, the recommendations of the assembly will be forwarded to the council, Young said.
The council has agreed to review the group’s recommendations.
“The group could decide not to recommend any changes,” Young said.
Civic Lex will provide the education sessions about the two topics that are picked. It will also likely bring in experts to help the assembly make its decisions. Civic Lex will not advocate for a position, Anderson said. It will be up to the vote of the assembly.
If the council agrees to a change in the charter, it must go to voters for approval or disapproval.
The council will likely make that decision by August 2026 so the local referendum can make it on the ballot in 2027, Anderson said.
To learn more about the civic assembly or to access the online survey go to www.civiclex.org.
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
