Council District 5

I graduated with a Business degree from the University of Kentucky in 2009 and have since built a diverse career that spans university admissions, sports branding, wine sales, and real estate. This varied experience has given me valuable real-world insights across multiple industries. My most significant work began after I obtained my real estate license in 2016, deepening my interest in urban planning and development in Lexington. This role also provided me with a keen understanding of people’s housing needs and desires. Further, I served for three years on the Property Tax Appeals Board (2020-2022), equipping me with an understanding of our property tax structure and its impact on both residents and businesses.

More recently, my involvement in local development projects has given me firsthand insight into the city’s challenges and opportunities—insights that have inspired me to run for City Council. I recognize that innovative ideas must be both practical and financially viable, and I understand the critical role local government plays, sometimes to our own detriment.

Beyond real estate, I excel in project-based work that demands creativity and innovative thinking to tackle complex problems—a skill set that will be invaluable in my role on Council.

My diverse career has provided me with a unique perspective and a broad range of experiences, which are essential for tackling the multifaceted issues our community faces. I am confident that my practical approach, combined with my deep understanding of local issues, makes me the most qualified candidate for the 5th District, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council.

While there are several critical issues facing the 5th District, a recurring priority is the need to improve our infrastructure—from addressing persistent traffic concerns to enhancing our public spaces and everything in between. To tackle these challenges, my first step will be to collaborate closely with neighborhoods, listening to residents and working together to identify and prioritize the most pressing infrastructure needs. I believe that those who live and work in the community have invaluable insights, and their voices should help guide our decisions.

Once these priorities are established, I will act as a strong advocate for our neighborhoods, ensuring that these issues are addressed. This means not only working directly with the relevant city departments to seek immediate solutions but also pushing for longer-term policy changes that can sustainably improve our district's infrastructure. My goal is to create a district where infrastructure works for everyone, supporting safer streets, better public spaces, and a higher quality of life for all residents.

More information about my priorities can be found on my website.

If elected, I will support making local government more accessible and inclusive for all residents. Clear communication and transparency are crucial, so I will prioritize practical changes that simplify city processes, making it easier for people to get involved without being overwhelmed by bureaucracy. I will collaborate with organizations like CivicLex to expand outreach, ensuring that a wider range of voices—especially those who may feel disconnected—are engaged and represented.

Further, I will make it a priority to utilize technology to stay connected with my constituents. I plan to leverage online platforms and other digital tools to provide regular updates, gather feedback, and keep an open line of communication with residents. By being accessible and responsive, I can ensure that I’m aware of your concerns and can address them effectively. My goal is to create a direct and ongoing dialogue with the community, making it easier for everyone to stay informed and involved in the decisions that affect our district.

Lexington is a wonderful place to call home, but we can always strive for more. I envision a city where residents thrive, feel empowered to take risks, and can truly be themselves. A city where we embrace both our vibrant urban core and the natural beauty that defines us. As a member of City Council, I will be dedicated to tackling the practical, everyday issues that impact us all, while fiercely preserving what makes Lexington unique. My goal is to foster a dynamic, inclusive, and prosperous community that honors our rich history and unlocks our full potential. Let’s embrace our heritage and drive meaningful progress, ensuring every resident experiences the best of what Lexington has to offer.

I have a PhD in Psychology and am a faculty member in the Psychology Department at University of Kentucky. Once I was elected in 2020, I took a workload reduction at UK so I could focus full time on my work as the 5th District Councilmember. In psychology, I teach students the hierarchy of needs - that you cannot reach your fullest potential until your basic needs are met. Basic needs include: housing, food access, safety, and physical/mental health. This is the perspective I bring to council and how I prioritize the issues that I work on. My professional skills as a teacher and researcher also inform my council work: heavy emphasis on communication and responsiveness, evidenced-based decision making, educating and engaging residents in their local government, preparation for work through investigation of background information and perspective taking.

Serving as the 5th District Councilmember for over three years now, I quickly learned the ropes and became a leader on Council. I am the most qualified candidate because I have proven to be an effective, responsive Councilmember that does her homework and leads in finding the best solutions for our community. To learn more about my first two terms on council, head to my website www.lizforlex.com.

My top priority is always working for the residents of my district. I am their representative and their liaison to our local government. It is difficult to say what the highest priority issue is facing the 5th District because we are not homogenous. Priority issues for my constituents change from neighborhood to neighborhood, but always come back to meeting our basic needs. For example, short term rentals (STRs) impact the housing availability and feeling of community in some neighborhoods, so I have worked on creating policy that sets standards for STRs throughout Lexington. Some neighborhoods have aging infrastructure that can impact their health, such as sanitary sewer overflows that I work with employees in our Water Quality Division to correct. Other neighborhoods have safety concerns for pedestrians, and I assist them with the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program and continue to advocate for implementation of our Complete Streets Policy. These are just a few examples, and the situations change rapidly from day-to-day, which is something that I enjoy about this job. I am an academic at heart, so I like getting to learn about and tackle a variety of issues.

As an active member of the Public Input Subcommittee, I have worked with my colleagues to implement changes to the public comment process that has modernized and standardized the experience for constituents coming to speak to Council. Speaking before council for the first time can be intimidating, and it is our job to make the Council Chamber as welcoming to community members as possible. This starts with education on the format of the meetings and the how to’s of public comment. We now have council staff positioned at the doors of the Council Chambers to greet people and help them get oriented and signed in to speak, if they wish.

I also supported funding for the Council’s first Public Information Officer (PIO), whose role it is to help get communications out to the public. The newly hired PIO has increased our social media presence, created educational materials, helps with the public comment sign-in, and works with our media contacts in the community to increase our reach.

Meeting people where they are is important as well! I don’t expect everyone to come down to the government center for a meeting. I helped us choose and set up a new online tool to allow for public education and feedback, called Engage Lexington (www.lexingtonky.gov/engage). Another implementation item we are working on is holding an Issues Expo out in the community where residents can come to a fair-like event to engage with local government and have an opportunity to learn about policy like a Councilmember would.

This is all in addition to the traditional methods of calling, emailing, one-on-one meetings, or neighborhood meetings that I continue to participate in with community members.

I remain committed to doing the work to help make Lexington a place where everyone can reach their full potential, regardless of their zip code or identity. A place where all our basic needs are met, and everyone feels like they belong. A place where our young people see opportunity for their future, and our seniors can age in place and live as independently as they wish. We make this a reality with a robust transportation network, including walkable communities; increasing our housing availability and affordability; investing in our workforce and economic development; protecting our environmental resources; and doing all we can to ensure our governmental services are operating efficiently and effectively. I am working towards this vision with my service on council, but can’t do it alone. I urge all who are reading this to join me in creating a community where everyone can comfortably live, work, and play. Reach out to me, join a board or commission, engage with your neighborhood association, or volunteer with a nonprofit. Let’s continue working to preserve the uniqueness of Lexington while shaping our future - together.