Urban County Council

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council convened on June 15, 2021, at 3:00 PM in the Council Chambers in Lexington, Kentucky, with Mayor Gorton presiding. The meeting focused on the second reading of the FY22 Budget, which was approved by the council. During the session, the council took one vote, heard one public comment, and addressed one agenda item. The meeting represented a key step in the city's budget approval process for the upcoming fiscal year.

Attendance

The following members were present at the June 15, 2021 meeting:

Present: • Mayor Gorton • Lamb • LeGris • McCurn • Moloney • Plomin • Reynolds • Sheehan • Worley • Baxter • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Kay • Kloiber

All 16 members were in attendance with no absences or late arrivals recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included one recorded vote on a significant budget ordinance for the upcoming fiscal year.

Ordinance 0585-21 6:00 Council members voted on "An Ordinance appropriating the Revenues, Expenditures/Expenses and Interfund Transfers for various funds for FY 2022." The motion was made by Ellinger and seconded by Plomin.

The ordinance passed by a roll call vote of 14 ayes to 1 nay, with no abstentions.

Voting in favor (14): • Lamb • LeGris • McCurn • Plomin • Reynolds • Sheehan • Worley • Baxter • Bledsoe • F. Brown • J. Brown • Ellinger • Kay • Kloiber

Voting against (1): • Moloney

The passage of this ordinance establishes the budget framework for fiscal year 2022, covering revenue projections, authorized expenditures and expenses, and interfund transfers across various municipal funds. The strong majority support, with only one dissenting vote, indicates broad council consensus on the proposed budget allocations.

Public Comment

During the public comment period, one speaker addressed the board regarding the FY22 Budget.

Moloney spoke at 2:00 to express his opposition to certain aspects of the proposed FY22 Budget. He specifically voiced disagreement with budget decisions related to the stabilization fund and announced his intention to vote against the FY22 Budget when it comes before the board for consideration.

No other public comments were recorded during this portion of the meeting.

Contested Items

The primary contested item during the June 15, 2021 meeting was the FY22 Budget, which resulted in a split vote among council members.

FY22 Budget

Council Member Moloney cast the dissenting vote against the proposed FY22 Budget, citing specific concerns about the stabilization fund and other financial decisions included in the budget proposal. While the exact details of Moloney's objections to the stabilization fund were not fully elaborated in the available materials, this disagreement represented a significant point of contention during the budget approval process.

The split vote indicates that while the majority of council members supported the budget as presented, Moloney's opposition highlighted substantive policy differences regarding the city's financial planning and fund management strategies for the upcoming fiscal year.

The outcome of this contested vote was not specified in the available materials, though the split nature of the vote suggests the budget discussion involved detailed debate over fiscal priorities and fund allocation decisions.

*Note: Specific transcript timestamps are not available for this contested item discussion.*

Second Reading of the FY22 Budget

6:00 The council conducted the second reading of Ordinance 0585-21, which appropriates revenues and expenditures for various municipal funds for Fiscal Year 2022.

Council members Ellinger, Plomin, and Moloney participated in the discussion of the budget ordinance. The second reading represents the final opportunity for council review before voting on the comprehensive spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

The ordinance addresses appropriations across multiple city funds, establishing the framework for municipal operations and services in FY 2022. As a second reading, this agenda item focused on final consideration of the budget proposal that had previously been introduced and reviewed by the council.

Following the discussion among the participating council members, the FY22 budget ordinance was approved by the council, authorizing the appropriation of revenues and expenditures for the various municipal funds as outlined in the legislation.

The approval of this ordinance establishes the official budget for Fiscal Year 2022, providing the legal authority for city departments to operate within their allocated funding levels and deliver services to residents throughout the upcoming fiscal year.