The Lexington city council’s discussion Tuesday about efforts to re-name Cheapside Park included racist remarks from callers during a public comment period.
This is the second time this summer where offensive remarks were made during a virtual meeting. After a second such call yesterday, Council Member James Brown asked Mayor Linda Gorton to stop taking public comments for that specific meeting. “If we don’t have a way of screening folks and making sure that they’re legitimate comments and concerns, I don’t think we should hear any more comments,” said Brown.
Will you make a motion, I tend to agree with you..will you make a motion please? Asked Gorton.
Brown did move for a stop to remote public comments and the motion passed unanimously. Later the council voted to suspend taking such calls until a secure way can be found to identify callers. Council gave preliminary approval to renaming Cheapside Park the Henry Tandy Centennial Park. The area adjacent the Historic Lexington Courthouse in pre-Civil War times included the buying and selling of slaves. Henry Tandy was a former slave who became a prominent masonry businessman.?
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