Mayor Baesler portrait unveiled in Lexington city hall

The portrait of former U.S. Congressman and three-term Lexington Mayor Scotty Baesler was unveiled Thursday in a special ceremony at city hall.

Baesler is the first of three former mayors whose portraits have recently been commissioned from Versailles artist Steve Sawyer.

Councilwoman Susan Lamb and Lexington historian Foster Ockerman Jr., administrator of the Lexington History Museum, have spearheaded efforts to get the portraits done. Ockerman raised private funds for the portraits.

The other former Lexington mayors who will soon have portraits are Teresa Isaac and Jim Newberry. Those portraits will be unveiled in ceremonies in coming months. The portraits will hang in the council chambers on the second floor of the government center.

Baesler is Lexington’s longest-serving mayor since city and county governments merged in 1974. He served from 1982-1993. Baesler also served as congressman for the 6th Congressional District from 1993-99. Baesler earned bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Kentucky. While there he played basketball for Coach Adolph Rupp. He and his wife, Alice, have two children and three grandchildren.

In a presentation before the Urban County Council at Thursday night’s meeting, Baesler pointed out that a lot has changed since he was mayor.

“You have money,” Baesler joked.

The best thing about local government is “you can do things for the people,” Baesler said. “ That’s what politics is all about.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Mayor Baesler portrait unveiled in Lexington city hall."