Many city officials are keeping an eye on Frankfort to gauge the impact of lawmaking on their individual communities. And then, city leaders also monitor their own priority bills.
It’s not always high-profile issues that may warrant a change in laws. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said one ask pertains to the city employee pension program. Gorton noted it was set up before the city and county merged. The mayor added there are some 30 beneficiaries.
“These are people who came to work for the city before 1974. This is a very technical thing. It’s now difficult to find people to serve who are beneficiaries,” said Gorton.
Gorton said the bill gives the mayor the authority to make new appointments. Another change in another pension program is to rename the Policeman and Fireman Pension Board the Police and Fire Pension Board. The Lexington administration is also asking for some changes as it relates to utility tree-cutting. That’s been a much- debated item at city hall over the last year.
The Kentucky League of Cities is lobbying for giving local municipalities the ability to enact a local sales tax. If it passes the legislature, that question would go before voters.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton said she’s a strong supporter of the local option sales tax. “That the city would put forth a project and the people would vote on whether they want to fund that project and the sales tax would go up as long as the project needed the funds. Then it would go away and be sunsetted,” explained Gorton.
Legislation to provide more taxation flexibility for city and county governments has passed the House and is now before the Senate.