The Urban County Council is a fifteen-member legislative group. Twelve of the members represent specific districts and serve two-year terms; three are elected city-wide as at-large council members and serve four-year terms. The at-large member with the highest number of votes in the general election automatically becomes the Vice Mayor who, in the absence of the Mayor, is the presiding officer of the Council. The current council members are:
 |
Jim Gray |
: |
Vice Mayor |
| |
Chuck Ellinger II |
: |
At-Large |
| |
Linda Gorton |
: |
At-Large |
| |
1st Distric |
: |
Andrea James |
| |
2nd Distric |
: |
Tom Blues |
| |
3rd Distric |
: |
Dick DeCamp |
| |
4th Distric |
: |
Julian Beard |
| |
5th Distric |
: |
David Stevens |
| |
6th Distric |
: |
Kevin Stinnett |
| |
7th Distric |
: |
K. C. Crosbie |
| |
8th Distric |
: |
George Myers |
| |
9th Distric |
: |
Jay McChord |
| |
10th Distric |
: |
Don Blevins |
| |
11th Distric |
: |
Richard Moloney |
| |
12th Distric |
: |
Ed Lane |
Government and politics
In 1974, the governments of the city of Lexington and Fayette County, Kentucky combined to create the current Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Lexington has an elected mayor and city council-style of government.
Mayor
On November 7, 2006, Jim Newberry was elected Mayor of Lexington. In January 2007, he succeeded Teresa Isaac, the city's mayor since 2000. During Isaac's tenure as Mayor, Lexington was the largest American city with an Arab-American mayor
Law enforcement
Primary law enforcement duties within Lexington are the responsibility of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Police. The Division of Police resulted from the merger of the Lexington Police Department with the Fayette County Patrol in 1974. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office is responsible for court service, including court security, prisoner transport, process and warrant service, and property tax collection. In addition, the University of Kentucky Police Department, the Transylvania University Department of Public Safety, Blue Grass Airport Public Safety, and the Kentucky Horse Park Police have jurisdiction within their geographic areas.