By Brenna Angel
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Lexington Fayette Urban County Council is starting its review and discussion of Mayor Jim Gray's budget proposal for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. The plan calls for laying off 28 city employees.
At one of three budget meetings held Tuesday, Councilman Bill Farmer said that it is a major issue to discuss.
"Everybody who I've talked to who knows they're being laid off knows exactly how many days it is until they're going to be laid off. And I'm not proposing that we can as a group can come up with recurring funding to save all those positions. But I'm just trying to ask us to think either out loud or in private or whatever, what is it we're going to try to get to? What is most important?"
Vice Mayor Linda Gorton urged council members to submit their questions and priorities as the five budget sub-groups, or links, begin examining specific parts of the proposal.
The links will report back to the full council in late May. Adoption of the final budget is scheduled for June 23.