Urban County Council Meeting

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council met on June 18, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers located at 200 E. Main Street in Lexington, Kentucky. Mayor Gray presided over the meeting, which included five agenda items. The council conducted two motions and votes during the session. No public comments were heard during this meeting. The agenda covered roll call, an ordinance on first reading, a budget amendment for the Police and Fire Pension Fund, and announcements.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on June 18, 2013:

• Clarke
• Ellinger
• Farmer
• Ford
• Gorton
• Henson
• Kay
• Lane
• Lawless
• Mossotti
• Myers
• Scutchfield
• Stinnett
• Akers
• Beard

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Ordinance 0659-13: Human Rights Commission Budget Amendment

An amendment to add $34,740 to the Human Rights Commission budget was moved by Ellinger and seconded by Myers. The motion passed unanimously. 7:07

Ordinance 0659-13: Police and Fire Pension Fund Amendment

An amendment to provide $3,200,000 for the Police and Fire Pension Fund from contingency and fund balance was moved by Stinnett and seconded by Lawless. The motion passed unanimously. 10:24

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included two financial amendments under Ordinance 0659-13:

Police and Fire Pension Fund The city approved $3,200,000 in funding for the Police and Fire Pension Fund. This amount was based on the June 2013 Pension Board rate and was provided through an amendment to the ordinance.

Human Rights Commission An additional appropriation of $34,740 was approved for the Human Rights Commission under the same ordinance amendment.

Contested Items

Budget Amendment for Police and Fire Pension Fund

A heated discussion arose regarding a proposed budget amendment for the Police and Fire Pension Fund [timestamp information not available]. Council members expressed significant concerns about a sudden $3.2 million shortfall and questioned both the actuarial calculations underlying the amendment and the timing of its presentation.

Commissioner O'Mara addressed these concerns by explaining that the variance resulted from three primary factors: pension reform, staffing increases, and a transition-year actuarial recalculation. Despite this explanation, uncertainty persisted among council members regarding future funding needs for the pension fund.

The core disagreement centered on whether the financial projections were reliable and whether the council had adequate advance notice to properly evaluate the amendment's implications. While Commissioner O'Mara provided justification for the shortfall, the council's lingering doubts suggest the amendment was not fully resolved to all parties' satisfaction during the meeting.

Roll Call

6:01

The Clerk conducted a roll call to account for all council members present at the meeting. All members were accounted for and called to order.

Ordinance – First Reading

7:07

The FY14 Budget Ordinance was introduced for first reading. The ordinance included appropriations across multiple funds and adoption of the Capital Improvement Program for FY2014–2019. Funding for the Tourist and Convention Commission was set at 99.5% of transient room tax revenue.

Key speakers on this item included Ellinger, Myers, and O'Mara.

During discussion of the ordinance, an amendment was passed to add $34,740 to the Human Rights Commission budget.

The ordinance advanced to first reading.

Budget Amendment for Police and Fire Pension Fund

10:24

A motion was made to amend the budget to allocate $3.2 million to the Police and Fire Pension Fund. The funding was sourced from two areas: $1.975 million from contingency funds and $1.225 million from fund balance.

Commissioner O'Mara provided financial justification for the amendment, citing a revised actuarial report that was necessitated by pension reform and increased staffing levels. The revised actuarial assessment indicated the need for the additional pension fund allocation.

Key speakers on this agenda item included Stinnett, Lawless, Farmer, and O'Mara.

The motion passed unanimously, advancing to first reading.

Announcements

No announcements were made during this portion of the meeting 28:51.

Public Comments

No public comments were received during this agenda item 29:25.