Nicholasville mayor highlights pay hikes, new stations and planned community center

Alex Carter, mayor of Nicholasville, told Wilmore officials and residents the city has prioritized public-safety investments and recreational facilities as it grows.

Carter said the city increased starting pay for firefighters and police officers by 58% since 2019 and has staffed about 72 sworn police officers and about 66 full-time firefighters. "Since 2019 we've increased our starting pay 58% for firefighters and police officers," Carter said, framing the raises as part of efforts to attract and retain personnel.

The mayor reviewed recent capital additions: a new police station (opened in June 2022, about 25,000 sq ft) and Fire Station No. 4 in the Brandon Crossing area. He also described a joint city–county plan for a roughly 59,000 sq ft multi-purpose community center that would include four basketball courts, community rooms and a walking track. Carter said design and site work are progressing and that the city hopes to break ground in the next few months with completion targeted for the following year.

Carter and county leaders also noted cooperation on industrial development and parks. "We've made historical investments in our Public Safety ... and all of those Investments have been made without raising taxes," Carter said, emphasizing fiscal conservatism alongside new facilities.

What happens next: Carter said the community-center site plan work has begun and that the city and county will continue coordinating on construction and programming; no formal city or county votes occurred at the Wilmore meeting.

(Reporting based on remarks by Alex Carter at the Wilmore joint meeting.)