A central Kentucky city has been without a mayor since the beginning of October. On August 20, longtime Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott announced he’d resign October 1. State election law gave the city council 30 days to pick a successor, and four councilmembers threw their hats on the ring. None got enough votes. Gary Johnson is one of the councilmembers who didn’t run.
“I would have thought, or at least I hope, the governor would have picked somebody by now. But you know, far as I know, nobody on the council has heard anything. And I'm not sure if City Hall has heard anything, they're not saying anything.”
Since October 31, it’s been up to Governor Beshear to choose the person to fill the remainder of Traugott’s term, which ends at the end of 2026. Jones credited Traugott for hiring good people.
“The people that are in charge of the different departments in the city are good. They've done a great job. Brian did a good job working with all of them, and I think the city will continue to flourish. In the meantime, it's just we're kind of a ship without a captain right now.”
State election law requires that Traugott’s successor be 21 or older and a Versailles resident. The governor’s communications director did not respond to multiple emails from WEKU.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
