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Public raises concerns about federal HUD cuts and calls for more Complete Streets funding during Lexington budget hearing
Summary
At a May 8 public hearing on the mayor's proposed budget, residents urged the council to increase emergency rental assistance and Complete Streets investments, citing federal HUD cuts and local safety initiatives such as Vision Zero.
The Urban County Council held a public hearing May 8 on Mayor Linda Gorton’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. During the hearing, residents urged the council to use the local budget to mitigate federal cuts to housing programs and to prioritize Complete Streets investments and traffic-safety work.
Phoenix Berry, a District 6 constituent, told the council they were concerned about “proposed HUD cuts” at the federal level and urged the city to consider increasing emergency rental and relocation assistance in the FY 2026 proposed budget. “Things like vouchers for rental assistance for low-income communities and our seniors are being cut,” Phoenix said. “This is something that is going to affect our Lexington neighbors.”
Alice Hilton, a District 11 resident and member of Living Streets Lexington, praised the proposed $20 million allocation for Complete Streets but questioned that “$14,000,000 of that was for paving,” suggesting the money could be used for sidewalks and other walk- and bike-friendly infrastructure. “You could build a lot of sidewalks with $14,000,000,” Hilton said. She urged the council to treat paving projects as opportunities for roadway redesign and community input to support walking and biking to elementary schools.
Why it matters: Speakers tied local budget priorities to federal funding trends and to city goals on traffic safety and livable streets. Phoenix framed potential HUD cuts as affecting housing vouchers, Continuum of Care services and the HOME Investment Partnership Program, and urged local investment to counteract those reductions. Hilton framed the Complete Streets allocation as a chance to shift routine maintenance toward multimodal safety improvements.
What was said and what the city made available
The mayor read a legal statement at the start of the public hearing noting that a summary of the mayor’s proposed budget has been published in the Lexington Herald-Leader and that printed copies are available at lexingtonky.gov, the council clerk’s office, the county clerk’s office and the central branch of the Lexington Public Library. The hearing format required speakers to identify their name and council district and gave each three minutes to speak.
Other public comments at the meeting included support for a Vision Zero resolution (agenda item 14) from members of the public and advocacy groups; James McElroy spoke in favor of the resolution and thanked staff for preparing it.
Next steps
The council closed the hearing and proceeded with other agenda items. The budget remains the mayor’s proposal until council deliberations and any formal amendments or votes; public comments will be part of the official record used during the council’s budget process.
