Lexington budget includes money for more police, pool upgrades, youth sports complex

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray unveiled a $345 million budget Tuesday that includes $5.2 million for a new fire station, $3 million for pool upgrades and money for 20 additional police officers.

The general fund budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is a 6.6 percent increase from the current year budget of $324 million.

Gray said Tuesday the city is projecting a surplus for the current fiscal year that ends June 30. This is the fourth consecutive year the city has had surpluses. Gray’s budget proposal includes spending roughly $6 million from the current-year surplus on capital projects for police and fire.

The budget includes $47.9 million in borrowing or bonding, down from the current year’s borrowing of $59 million.

The Urban County Council will begin deliberations on Gray’s budget later this month. The council — which typically makes some changes to Gray’s budget proposal —has until June 30 to pass a budget.

Gray’s sixth budget proposal focused on three major areas —public safety, parks and economic development.

“First, as always, public safety dominates the general fund budget — 54 percent,” Gray said Tuesday. “It’s an essential building block of our city.”

The additional officers will bring the city’s police force to 600, “the highest it has ever been.”

In addition, Gray included $600,000 for video storage costs for police body cameras and $2.5 million to replace aging police cars. Gray included $5.2 million for a new fire station in Masterson Station, the first new station in more than a decade.

“This is our 24th station and the first increase in fire stations since 2005,” Gray said. “We’ve also budgeted over $2 million for repairs to fire stations and other needs. And we have included almost $3 million for fire vehicles.”

Other big-ticket items in Gray’s budget include nearly $3 million for the city’s aquatics program. That includes $400,000 for design of changes to Shillito pool. Preliminary designs for upgrades at the pool show a lazy river and possibly a water slide. No final decisions have been made. That $3 million also includes four new “spraygrounds” at Masterson Station, Jacobson, Douglass and Castlewood parks. The switch to spraygrounds, which are playgrounds that include water features such as fountains, was recommended in a recently released aquatics master plan.

They are cheaper, safer and easier to maintain than pools, Gray said.

“Now, when we were kids, a sprayground was a back yard and a garden hose,” Gray joked Tuesday. “In today’s spraygrounds, you will still get wet, but have a lot more fun doing it. They’re a lower cost, low-maintenance alternative to pools that parents and kids love them.”

Gray also included $7 million for a proposed youth sports complex on 130 acres of city-owned land near Versailles and New Circle roads. The Bluegrass Sports Commission has led efforts for the complex that could host youth sports tournaments. Bluegrass officials have said the nonprofit commission expects to raise more than $6.25 million for the complex. Bluegrass officials had asked the city for $18.75 million.

Gray said the $7 million signals the city’s interest in the project. A recently released economic impact study paid for by the sports commission and VisitLex showed the economic impact could be as much as $23 million in the first year in increased spending at Lexington hotels and restaurants.

But some on the Urban County Council had questions about the source of the private financing and who would maintain the park at a council meeting last month. Some neighborhoods near the proposed sports complex have also voiced concerns about traffic and destruction of some wildlife habitats.

“Lexington is a great sports town, especially for youth sports,” Gray said. “And there are never enough fields to meet all the needs. This complex would support regional competition. And it already has widespread support in our community. I’ve heard from a lot of parents who are really excited about the idea.”

Gray’s budget also includes a 3 percent raise for most employees not covered by a contract and 47 new positions, including the 20 police officers. One of the new positions is a workforce development manager “who will work with both employers and potential employers to ensure we have a workforce with the right skills to meet companies’ needs,” Gray said.

Gray also included $1.25 million for a local economic development fund used to keep and attract new jobs. That’s a $250,000 increase from this year’s allocation of $1 million for the economic development fund —called the Jobs Fund. Gray said Tuesday the fund has created 223 jobs with an average annual salary of over $60,000 in its first 18 months.

Councilman Kevin Stinnett, who chairs the council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, said he was encouraged Gray had put money in the budget for the workforce development manager. The council has been wrestling in recent months with how to improve the city’s job training programs.

Money for additional police officers and for infrastructure projects — including a total of $10 million for paving — have been council priorities, he said.

“Jobs, public safety and infrastructure — those are all key,” Stinnett said.

Stinnett said he wanted to hear more about how the city determined the revenue estimate of $345 million. That’s a dramatic increase from the current year’s budget, he said. Council will also likely want to hear more about spending $6 million from the current-year surplus, he said.

Vice Mayor Steve Kay said the budget addressed some pent-up capital needs. “We are able to finally address some long-standing needs like replacing police vehicles.”

Councilwoman Shevawn Akers, who represents the neighborhoods around Masterson Station Park, said she, too, was encouraged Gray had allocated money for the city’s parks and public safety.

“Masterson Station is the state’s largest neighborhood. Its residents as well as residents from surrounding neighborhoods will greatly benefit from this new, local fire station,” Akers said.

Lexington Police Chief Mark Barnard said the additional 20 police officers will help Lexington police re-establish neighborhood policing units that were cut several years ago during the recession. Akers and other council members said Tuesday those units make neighborhoods safer.

“One of the No. 1 complaints I receive is petty theft and mischief in my neighborhoods,” Akers said. “The addition of 20 new patrol officers will help address these concerns and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.”

As part of the $47 million in borrowing, Gray also included $10 million in city money for a proposed $250 million overhaul of the Lexington convention center even though $60 million in state funding for the project is in question. Gov. Matt Bevin and the state House had included $60 million in their respective budgets for the convention center but the Senate took the project out. The House and Senate could not come to an agreement on a budget last week. The General Assembly will return April 12 for the final day of the legislative session. If a budget agreement is not signed, it’s possible a special legislative session could be called.

Lexington Finance Commissioner Bill O’Mara said Gray chose to include the $10 million in case the legislature agreed to a budget and the $60 million. O’Mara said if the legislature decides not to allocate the $60 million, the $10 million could come out of the spending plan.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Lexington budget includes money for more police, pool upgrades, youth sports complex."