‘Civil discourse’ is key to the good government we see in Lexington | Opinion

In a recent interview, former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy discussed the need for “civil discourse.” As I heard this, it rang true with how the members of our Lexington Fayette Urban County Government have discussions among themselves.

Having watched many meetings of our LFUCG government, I’ve seen our local officials engage in civil discourse time and again. These include interactions among council members, with bureaucrats, with the mayor and her staff, and with regular citizens.

Democracy is not on autopilot, and everyone needs to understand that civil discourse is essential. As Supreme Court Justice Kennedy said, “democracy depends on discourse that is thoughtful, reasoned, and respectful.” What I’ve found with our LFUCG officials is precisely this.

And it isn’t just democracy that relies on civil discourse, but also justice. Having measured discussions enables equality without bias or animosity. As Justice Kennedy said, “Even if you don’t like a person, you must treat them fairly.” And again, this is how I’ve seen our LFUCG elected offices interact with each other and the public.

There are many instances in which our LFUCG elected officials disagree with each other, bureaucrats, or the public on policy. However, their interactions follow “civil discourse.” I believe this allows them to arrive at a policy democratically and with justice, whether it is a popular position or not.

A few examples exemplify these interactions. During a meeting of Boards and Commissions, there were many interactions between elected officials and staff as they sought to identify practices to improve how citizens engage with our government through our boards and commissions.

In a meeting related to the LFUCG Budget and Finance this last week, multiple council members suggested ways to leverage the fund balance, the money that has not been allocated, or said another way, the money left over from the prior year. Multiple council members suggested ways to use this money. Their council colleagues, in civil discourse, asked many questions regarding why this use of these funds was necessary for those projects.

It is not just council member interactions; I’ve seen the same civil discourse occur with the mayor as well. As with council, I’ve always seen our mayor have civil interactions with council and regular citizens in public meetings.

Perhaps this civil discourse with our LFUCG elected officials is because their positions are non-partisan. Perhaps having these positions as non-partisan leads to more centrist and moderate officials. I can point to other cities in Kentucky where these positions are partisan, and where interactions between their elected officials are anything but civil.

Though not all decisions by our elected LFUCG government may go the way I agree with, the civil discourse they have with either their peers, with the executive, with bureaucrats, and with regular citizens should provide a model of how I want our elected officials to engage in other levels of government, as well as our own interactions with others.

Martin Rivers is a retired software engineer and 30-year resident of Lexington.