Mayor Jim Gray unveiled a $324 million spending plan Tuesday that includes $22 million for the Old Courthouse Building, among other infrastructure and capital projects.
Gray delivered his plan for Fiscal Year 2016, which begins July 1, before the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council. In his speech, the mayor thanked council members for their work over the past year and noted the city had produce its third consecutive surplus.
“Thanks to a Council majority with backbone and fortitude through a lot of tough decisions, today we are a city with a firm grasp on our future,” Gray said. “Collectively, we have managed the business of government efficiently.”
Gray said his new budget was focused on creating jobs and building a “Great American City.”
Noting the city’s economy has grown and unemployment rate has fallen, Gray touted continued investment and new initiatives. The new plan allocates $1 million each for the city’s Jobs Fund program and for “new development and design excellence infrastructure assistance.”
The mayor also touted the city’s push to make Lexington a so-called gigabit city, which would greatly expand affordable and high-speed broadband access. He also singled out the North Limestone Community Development Corp.’s work to reinvest and develop the Limestone corridor.
The largest single expenditure in the budget was for work on the Old Courthouse, the historic 1899 structure that the mayor said had fallen into disrepair through neglect.
“It’s one of the most significant public buildings in Kentucky and it faces a critical moment,” Gray said.
Another project tied to the city’s history that is receiving attention in the budget is the plan for Town Branch Commons. Gray included $10 million to help build the 2-mile linear parkland and announced plans to see federal grants and public-private partnerships to develop the entire plan.
Gray’s budget plan also includes $10 million for road paving, several million dollars for police and fire fighting personnel and equipment, and money for social services and parks projects.