LEXINGTON, Ky. — Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton vetoed a portion of the city council’s proposed budget pertaining to money set aside for 10 new city jobs, which the council can override if it wishes. 

What You Need To Know

  • Lexington Urban County Council's budget includes $24 million for a new senior center 

  • The current senior center sees more than 300 people every day 

  • The new space at Shilito Park will also accommodate people with disabilities 

  • Nearly 3,000 seniors visited the current center in 2023

But Gorton and the council agreed on mostly everything else in the budget, including $24 million for a new senior center at Shilito Park. It will bring capacity relief to the current center, which opened in 2016 and sees more than 300 people every day.

Kristy Stambaugh said at 33,000 square feet, the Lexington Senior Center on Life Lane off Richmond Road has outgrown its current space. Last year, 2,928 different seniors took advantage of the center.

“So far, this year, we’ve had 500 new seniors join," Stambaugh said. "To join is free of charge."

Nearly half of the seniors joined for the free fitness and wellness classes, as well as the affordable art and music classes. Stambaugh said every class continues to be at capacity, which has become an issue the senior population continues to grow.

“Soon, there’s going to be more people over the age of 65 than under 18," Stambaugh said. “Sometimes, we don’t have room to cram in one more person for one more activity, so the new center is going to afford us the ability to expand services.”

The new center will be around 25,000 square feet. In addition to seniors, it will accommodate people with disabilities.

“There aren’t many centers with the ideas that we have in mind," Stambaugh said. "To have a therapeutic recreation center and senior center supported by the community, mayor and council is truly amazing."

Even if seniors aren’t interested in a class, the new space, much like the center at Idle Hour Park, will have places to play games and socialize.

“We have a lot of our population that chose to be childless or their children don’t live nearby or they’ve outlived family members, so the senior center becomes their home away from home," Stambaugh said.

The Lexington Urban County Council unanimously passed the budget last week. It has until the end of June to override any vetoes by the mayor, which takes nine members. 

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