# Special Urban County Council Meeting - August 28, 2007 > Auto-transcribed civic record · Council · August 28, 2007 - **Permalink**: https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/meeting/118 - **Source video**: https://lfucg.granicus.com/player/clip/118?view_id=14&redirect=true - **Date**: 2007-08-28 - **Body**: Council - **Last revised**: February 1, 2026 - **Length**: 1,352 words > ⚠️ **Auto-generated content.** Audio from the official Granicus video was auto-transcribed by OpenAI Whisper-1. Structured facts were extracted with GPT-4o; the narrative summary was written by Anthropic Claude Sonnet. Speaker labels and verbatim wording may contain errors. See [methodology](https://meetings.lexingtonky.news/about/methodology) or [report a correction](mailto:editor@lexingtonky.news). --- ## Meeting Overview The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Council convened on August 28, 2007, at 3:00 PM in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Jim Newberry presiding. The meeting focused primarily on the annual process of levying ad valorem taxes for various county services and departments. Council members addressed four agenda items, all related to tax levies for different governmental functions including the Agricultural Extension Office, Health Department, Soil and Water Conservation District, and general municipal purposes. All four tax levy ordinances were approved by the Council. The meeting included one public comment and one recorded vote during the proceedings. ## Attendance The following Council members were present at the August 28, 2007 meeting: **Present:** • Jim Newberry • James • Lane • McChord • Moloney • Myers • Stevens • Stinnett • Beard • Blevins • Blues • Crosbie • Ellinger • Gorton • Gray **Absent:** • DeCamp No Council members arrived late to the meeting. With 15 members present and 1 absent, the Council had a quorum to conduct official business. ## Votes and Decisions The Council conducted one formal vote during the August 28, 2007 meeting. **Ordinances Levying Ad Valorem Taxes** Councilmember Gorton made a motion to approve ordinances levying ad valorem taxes for various purposes, which was seconded by Councilmember Ellinger. The motion passed unanimously with all 14 members present voting in favor. **Vote Results:** - **Outcome:** Passed - **Vote Count:** 14 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstentions **Members Voting in Favor:** - James - Lane - McChord - Moloney - Myers - Stevens - Stinnett - Beard - Blevins - Blues - Crosbie - Ellinger - Gorton - Gray The unanimous approval demonstrates full Council support for the tax levy ordinances, which are typically annual measures required to fund various municipal operations and services. ## Public Comment One member of the public addressed the Council during the public comment period at the August 28, 2007 meeting. **Bill Wheeler** spoke regarding property tax rates and garbage collection funding. Wheeler expressed his approval of the reduction in the garbage collection fee that the Council had implemented. He reiterated his position that revenue for garbage collection services should be collected through direct fees for each service provided, rather than being funded through property tax assessments. Wheeler advocated for a fee-for-service model that would directly link the cost of garbage collection to those who use the service. No transcript timestamps were available for this public comment period. ## Levying ad valorem taxes for Agricultural Extension Office The Council considered Ordinance 1, which would levy ad valorem taxes to support the Agricultural Extension Office for fiscal year 2007-2008. The ordinance applies to all taxable real and personal property within the jurisdiction. No specific discussion details or speaker information were recorded for this agenda item in the available meeting materials. The ordinance was approved by the Council. The Agricultural Extension Office tax levy represents the annual funding mechanism to support agricultural extension services in the community for the 2007-2008 fiscal year through property tax assessments. ## Levying ad valorem taxes for Lexington-Fayette County Health Department The Council considered Ordinance 2, which would levy ad valorem taxes to support the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department for fiscal year 2007-2008. The ordinance applies to all taxable real and personal property within the jurisdiction. No specific discussion details or key speakers were recorded for this agenda item in the available meeting materials. The ordinance was presented as part of the Council's regular business for establishing the necessary tax levy to fund Health Department operations for the upcoming fiscal year. The Council approved the ordinance, authorizing the collection of ad valorem taxes on real and personal property to provide financial support for Health Department services and programs during the 2007-2008 fiscal year. ## Levying ad valorem taxes for Soil and Water Conservation District The Council considered Ordinance Item 3, which would levy ad valorem taxes to support the Soil and Water Conservation District for fiscal year 2007-2008. The ordinance applies to all taxable real property within the jurisdiction. No specific discussion details or speaker information were recorded for this agenda item in the available meeting materials. The ordinance was presented as part of the Council's regular business for establishing the annual tax levy to fund the Soil and Water Conservation District's operations. The Council approved the ordinance to levy the ad valorem taxes for the Soil and Water Conservation District for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. ## Levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes The Council considered Ordinance 4, which would levy ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes for the fiscal year 2007-2008 on all taxable property within the city's jurisdiction. This ordinance represents the city's annual property tax levy, a standard municipal procedure that establishes the tax rate to be applied to assessed property values within the city limits for the upcoming fiscal year. The levy provides funding for various municipal services and operations. No specific speakers were identified for this agenda item, and no transcript timestamp was available for the discussion portion of this ordinance. The item appears to have proceeded without significant debate or public comment. The Council approved the ordinance, authorizing the levy of ad valorem taxes for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. This approval enables the city to collect property taxes from all taxable properties within its jurisdiction to fund municipal operations and services for the fiscal year. The passage of this ordinance is a routine but essential action that municipalities must take annually to establish their property tax collections, which typically represent a significant portion of local government revenue streams. --- ## Decisions - **Motion** — passed (14-0): Approval of ordinances levying ad valorem taxes for various purposes --- ## Full transcript Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on issues that are on the agenda for today? All right. I need to open the special meeting. I'm sorry. I apologize. You're right. Before we get into the work session, we have two or three odds and ends. We need to clean up from some of our prior meetings, including a public hearing and a second reading on some ordinances. So let's call the special meeting to order and the clerk will call the roll. And we'll proceed. Ms. James. Here. Mr. Lane. Here. Mr. McCord. Here. Mr. Maloney. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Myers. Yes. Dr. Stevens. Present. Mr. Stinnett. Present. Mr. Beard. Present. Mr. Blevins. Here. Mr. Blues. Here. Ms. Crosby. Here. Mr. DeCamp. Mr. Ellinger. Here. Ms. Gordon. Here. Mr. Gray. Here. Thank you very much. We have a quorum. The first item on the agenda is the public hearing on ad valorem tax rates. And let me just read a couple of paragraphs I have here, so the stage will be appropriately set for that. House Bill 44 of the 1979 Special Legislative Session requires Urban County Government to provide an opportunity for citizens to make comments about the ad valorem tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year if the proposed rates exceed the compensating rates. The compensating rate is a rate that produces approximately the same amount of revenue as that produced in the preceding year, excluding new property and personal property. A summary of last year's rates, the compensating rates and the proposed rates for FY2008, along with the corresponding assessments and revenues for the general services district, the full and partial urban services districts, the Fayette County Extension Service and the Fayette County Health Department was published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on August 18, 2007 and August 21, 2007. Copies of the summary are on the table in the back of the room. That having been said, the public hearing is now in session. Are there any comments from the public? All right. Seeing, seeing, all right. Mr. Wheeler. If you could give us your name and address, you'll have three minutes. I am Bill Wheeler, Lexington resident with Homestead on Jessalon Drive. Thank you, Mayor and Council. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize the time for the public hearing. I was following the agenda, which I thought indicated a public hearing after each reading. Anyway, I'll go ahead. I'm pleased to see that you have reduced the rate for garbage collection by one, I guess, let's see, one ten-thousandth, I guess. Anyway, that will save property owners a dollar for every million dollar that they spend on garbage. Assessment. While on that subject, I want to reiterate what I have been presenting to you for over a year, and that is the Urban County Government's policy of collecting revenue for the garbage collection by this property tax. It's my understanding that this issue will be considered in the future, I think sometime this fall, if I heard correctly a few months ago. And therefore, if it's given proper consideration, serious consideration, I believe that next year you will not have a property tax rate for garbage collection. In other words, the revenue will be collected by fees for each service. And I might remind you that one of the large manufacturing companies has an assessment of $55 million. They're paying over $80,000 a year for the property tax. Well, there are others on the list, but I guess I shouldn't take your time for that. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Wheeler. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak with regard to the property tax issues? Seeing none, we will close the public hearing. We will proceed to the second reading of the ordinances. Number one, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for purposes of support of the Agriculture Extension Office for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real and personal property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government. All taxes on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date as follows. .0031 on all taxable real property, including real property of public service companies. .0034 on taxable personal property, including personal property of public service companies, non-commercial aircraft and non-commercial watercraft, and excluding inventory and transit, insurance capital, tobacco and storage, and agriculture products and storage. And levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Agriculture Extension Office at the rate of .0032 on each $100 of assessed value in all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Number two, an ordinance pursuant to a request received from the Lexington State County Health Department levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Lexington State County Health Department for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real and personal property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government, including real and personal property of public service companies, non-commercial aircraft, non-commercial watercraft, and inventory and transit, and excluding insurance capital, tobacco and storage, and agricultural products and storage at the rate of .028 on each $100 of assessed value as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date. And levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Lexington State County Health Department at the rate of .028 on each $100 of assessed value on all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Number three, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for purposes of support of the Soil and Water Conservation District for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government, including real property of public service companies at a rate of .0004 on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date. And number four, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government on taxes on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date as follows. General Services District .0800 on real property, including real property of public service companies. .0990 on personal property, including personal property of public service companies, noncommercial aircraft and noncommercial watercraft. .1500 on insurance capital. .0150 on tobacco and storage. And .0450 on agricultural products and storage. Full urban or partial urban services districts based on urban service available on real property, including real property of public service companies. .1590 for refuse collection. .0210 for street lights. .0094 for street cleaning. .0920 on insurance capital. .0150 on tobacco and storage. .0450 on agricultural products and storage. And levying an ad valorem tax for municipal purposes at the rate of .0880 on each $100 of assessed value on all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Are there any motions? Motion to approve the ordinance that just received second reading would be in order. I have a motion and a second that they be approved unless there's further discussion. We'll proceed to a vote both electronically and by roll call. Madam Clerk. Ms. James? Yes. Mr. Lane? Yes. Mr. McCord? Mr. Crosby? Yes. Ms. Gordon? Aye. And Mr. Gray? Aye. Thank you. Thank you.