Lexington, Ky., Struggles to Fund Garbage Truck Driver Raises

The Lexington, Ky., City Council is trying to figure out how it will pay for the raises it promised city garbage truck drivers back in October.

Beginning in January, 253 city employees—including 110 sanitation workers—with their commercial driver’s licenses will get a $1-per-hour pay bump. Earlier this week, the council voted to use the surplus money it had set aside for council members to spend in its districts to fund the pay increase.

In other news, the Lexington Recycling Center says it is temporarily closing its doors in January 2020 to upgrade equipment, according to a WTVQ report.

Lexington Herald-Leader has more:

The Lexington council opted Tuesday to use some of the surplus money it had set aside for council members to spend in their districts to help pay for a $1-per-hour pay raise for garbage truck drivers and other city employees with commercial driver’s licenses.

If given final approval by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on Thursday as expected, 253 employees — including 110 in waste management — will get the pay bump starting in early January.

A council committee had approved the pay raise for those with commercial drivers licenses in October but had not decided how to pay for the promise.

Read the full article here.