LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Mayor Linda Gorton delivered her annual State of the City-County address Thursday, outlining significant progress across multiple areas while announcing new initiatives for Lexington's future.
Speaking to the Lexington Forum, Gorton emphasized that "the future is now" as the city transitions from celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2025 to focusing on continued growth and development.
Record employment and economic development
Lexington set a record for the highest employment in its history, with 171,656 people currently employed in Fayette County. The city continues to see rising per capita income and median household income while maintaining a relatively low cost of living.
"Economic development remains a top priority for me," Gorton said. "As I start my eighth year as Mayor, it continues to be something I work on every day to secure a bright future for our children, and their children."
The city has invested in two new industrial parks. Construction on Legacy Business Park, a 200-acre light industrial park on Georgetown Road, began last June and will be completed later this year. The city is investing $22.6 million in infrastructure to make the park shovel-ready for businesses, with the park opening debt-free.
Gorton said Legacy Business Park will include 19 lots totaling 147 acres for development and is estimated to house nearly 1,700 jobs with an annual payroll of $100 million.
The mayor also announced the creation of the Central Kentucky Business Park Authority, a partnership with Berea, Madison County, and Scott County to develop a 300-acre regional industrial park based in Berea.
Crime reduction through technology
Violent crime dropped 10.8 percent between 2024 and 2025, including a 13 percent decrease in homicides, a 23 percent drop in assaults with firearms, and a 26 percent reduction in robberies.
"Violent crime is trending down in our community, in part, because of technology-intensive, precision-based, and intelligence-led policing," Gorton said.
The Real Time Intelligence Center has expanded operating hours with additional specialists hired this year. Property crimes also decreased 8.7 percent, with motor vehicle thefts down 15.7 percent.
Technology investments led to the closure of a 27-year-old cold case this year - the murder of Linda Rutledge - providing closure for her family.
Fire department innovations
The fire department installed a new $1 million alerting system that integrates with E-911 and features electronic dispatch, reducing response times.
In partnership with the Kentucky Blood Center, Lexington ambulances now carry whole blood for on-scene transfusions, a capability available to only 1-2 percent of emergency medical services nationwide. Firefighters have already administered blood over 20 times since the program launched last June.
Youth violence prevention success
One Lexington's violence prevention efforts continue showing results. In 2025, Lexington experienced its fourth consecutive year of declining gun violence, recording the fewest total homicides of young people in a decade and the fewest gunshot victims since 2010.
The city has reduced violence involving young people by 60 percent since 2021. Last year, Lexington invested nearly $200,000 in violence prevention efforts through grants to nonprofits and the school system.
Parks and housing investments
Using federal American Rescue Act funding and local dollars, the city invested over $29 million in parks projects in 2025. Major completions included Cardinal Run North, the first large regional park opened in 25 years; Kelley's Landing, providing the city's first public access to the river; the reopened Douglass Aquatic Center; and the reinvented Phoenix Park downtown.
The city currently has 231 affordable housing units under construction, mostly for seniors ages 55 and over. Once complete, the portfolio will total 3,826 units preserved or constructed, with hopes to reach 4,000 units by year's end.
