By Brenna Angel
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An attempt to change how Lexington Urban County Government approves its collective bargaining agreements has failed for a second time. Currently, the mayor signs off on all negotiations. But Doug Martin, who represents Lexington's 10th District, says the council should be more involved.
"The city of Louisville has a virtually identical ordinance that their city council approves their collective bargaining agreement and yet somehow this is forbidden for the Lexington city council to look at this collective bargaining agreement. I don't understand it and I don't think it's fair.
Councilmember Kevin Stinnett disagrees, saying the council already has the power to control government expenditures.
"We pass the budget, period. We can set the parameters in our budget as to how much money we can spend on collective bargaining. And that mayor, he or she, would have to negotiate within those parameters."
A resolution requiring the council to approve collective bargaining agreements before they get the endorsement of the mayor was tabled in 2008. At Tuesday's committee meeting, Councilmember Martin's motion to have the council re-consider the proposal failed 4-2.
Mayor Jim Gray's office has hired a consultant to handle collective bargaining that is underway between the city and unions for police, fire, and corrections.