Three candidates stand out in race for at-large members of Lexington Urban County Council

Voters have a crowded field in the race for at-large candidates for Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. Eight candidates will vie for those top three spots with the biggest vote-getter in the fall becoming Vice Mayor. We are disappointed that only one woman chose to run in this race but it still presents a wide range of views of people who wholeheartedly want to move Lexington forward.

Still, three candidates have risen to the top of our estimation: James Brown, Dan Wu and Chuck Ellinger.

James Brown is the current council member from District 1, and as such has deep knowledge of the thorniest problems that face Lexington including crime, affordable housing and growth. He has worked closely with Vice Mayor Steve Kay and understands the inner workings of the council and how to get council members to work together. His career as a realtor also gives him valuable insights into what he calls Lexington’s number one issue: growth. As he pointed out, growth affects everything, housing, crime, employment, storm water problems, healthy food. But he also understands that many of these issues are gray, rather than black or white.

“Folks love and want to protect our valuable rural landscape,” he told the editorial board. “I think they know we as a community need to continue to grow but everyone wants us to be smart and methodical.”

Dan Wu is a political neophyte but as an immigrant and small business creator, he brings fresh experience and knowledge to the council. He has the rare quality of knowing what he doesn’t know but is a quick study in finding out. For example, he has already received a tutorial on planning and zoning from city staff as the next council will have to address the Comprehensive Plan update.

“It’s a huge tough nut to crack and there are zero easy answers and no one will be happy,” he said. “We’re a midsize city and we still think we’re a small town — from a relational standpoint I like that, but in terms of planning we’re have to think about how we’re becoming this other beast. If we don’t plan intentionally then we end up like Nashville or Austin.”

Chuck Ellinger is one of the Old Guard on council, which includes two other at-large candidates Richard Moloney and Bill Farmer. They have a wealth of institutional knowledge, which is crucial to the council’s operations. But unlike his colleagues, Ellinger can combine his years of experience on the Budget and Finance Committee with a willingness to consider new ideas. He voted consistently to ban no knock warrants, a position that has probably cost him dearly among his constituents in more conservative areas of town.

“I didn’t want to be on the wrong side of history,” he told the editorial board. Political courage is all too rare these days, and that alone is enough to earn our endorsement. But we also like Ellinger’s support of trails and recreation, along with his understanding of our complicated issues of growth.

Six candidates will move onto the General Election. We also like Arnold Farr’s sense of compassion and justice in the policy realm. Richard Moloney and Bill Farmer have deep knowledge of the city’s workings, but we feel it’s time for new outlooks. In his correspondence with the editorial board, Matt Miniard seemed more interested in settling personal scores than making policy. Lillie Miller-Johnson did not respond to a request for an editorial board meeting.

This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.