Kentucky
Salary bump for mayor? More city commissioners? How a city is changing its government
COVINGTON, KY. – The mayor of Covington will likely have a lot more power by 2029 – and a higher paycheck.
Those changes are among several that city commissioners will consider in the coming weeks as local committee members reconfigure how government and day-to-day operations in Northern Kentucky’s largest city should run.
For the first time in about a century, the city is moving away from a city manager-run form of government to what’s known as a strong mayor system. It’s part of an overhaul voters approved last fall. The changes will go into effect in 2029.
Here’s what you need to know about the government changes:
Why is the Covington government changing?
About 61% of voters cast a ballot in favor of the changes that include a strong mayor system.
That style of government gives the mayor direct authority over city departments, staff and the general day-to-day running of the city.
It also eliminates the position of city manager, who has traditionally had those responsibilities and acted as a buffer between elected officials and city staff.
The Committee on Form of Government Transition was created after the election to hash out the changes. Roughly 30 to 40 people applied to be on the committee. Nine voting members and seven non-voting members were selected from that pool.
Since January, the committee has met three times a month, conducted surveys, hosted two in-person forums, and solicited online and mail-in feedback about the process.
What will change?
Last week, Committee Administrator Sebastian Torres presented the group’s first recommendations to Covington city commissioners at a caucus meeting. They include:
- A 185% increase in the mayor’s salary from $33,395.58 annually to a maximum of $95,335.76.
- A 33% pay decrease for city commissioners from $26,680.73 annually to a maximum of $17,787.15.
- Six city commissioners instead of four.
Torres told The Enquirer the proposed pay rates were primarily based on two factors: comparative data from other Kentucky cities and the expected workload change for elected officials.
“Currently, the mayor is working 50-plus hours a week,” he said. “If we’re going to encourage anyone, who’s frankly not retired … to run for this position … the position is going to need to have a (market rate) full-time salary attached to it.”
A higher salary will be necessary when the city no longer has a city manager and the mayor takes on additional duties, Torres said.
Other similarly sized cities in Kentucky, like Florence and Georgetown, pay their mayors salaries in the same range, according to data collected by the committee.
Meanwhile, Torres said, the workload for commissioners will decrease because they will no longer have to vote on issues like employment contracts.
The committee is recommending a larger county commission based on the data, surveys of residents and in-person comments, Torres said. He provided copies of the surveys which reflect that preference.
What’s next?
In the coming weeks, commissioners could approve, deny, or ask for changes to the committee’s recommendations.
They’ll do that for the first time at the city council meeting at 6 p.m. May 13 at city hall.
If commissioners approve the recommendations as-is, they’ll consider them again in a second reading, which could happen as soon as May 27.
Meanwhile, the committee will keep working on other government change details.
“Now we’re going to turn our attention to the city government structure, how we do things, and look for opportunities to kind of reshape how the government is, in itself, a body, (and) how we get our work done,” Torres said.
Committee meetings are open to the public and include a public comment period. The committee meets at 5:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at city hall, with more information on the Covington city website.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville celebrated Juneteenth with music, dancing and a parade highlighting Black culture, history and unity.
The Kentucky Black Festival’s Juneteenth Unity Parade brought hundreds of people to west Louisville, with marching bands, dancers, community organizations and families joining together to honor the meaning behind the holiday.
“Seeing the families having a good time seeing everyone dancing, with everything that’s happening in this city and happening in the world, a moment to just take a breath and smile and relax your shoulders is what this is all about,” said Walter Murrah, executive director of the Kentucky Black Foundation.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
For organizers, the celebration is about more than a parade. It’s about recognizing the history that paved the way for future generations.
“Celebrating Juneteenth is more than just dancing and singing. It’s also reaching back and looking at the giants that paved the way for us, but also taking a moment to just celebrate our blackness because I think oftentimes it’s looked down upon, left out, overlooked, and those kind of things,” Murrah said. “And so being Black is beautiful. Being Black is, you know, it should be celebrated, and that’s what Juneteenth is about, is, you know, marrying the history but also looking ahead to what’s in the future.”
Attendees said the event created a space to celebrate their heritage and come together.
“We’re not celebrated enough, so with this being Juneteenth for freedom and unity to come together, this is the day for us to do that,” said Tara Britt.
Community members also emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about the holiday and its history.
“It’s very important because if we don’t tell them, they won’t know. We have to get educated to educate them because it’s not in the schools right now,” said Shannon Gilbert. “So we get all the knowledge and give it back to them and make sure they’re educated because they’re the future.”
Organizers said the goal is to make sure Juneteenth is not only remembered but experienced through community celebrations like the parade.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but communities across the country have recognized and celebrated the day for decades.
Kentucky
Demetrus Liggins disputes Fayette County board’s claim he resigned, attorneys allege misconduct
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — The attorneys for Dr. Demetrus Liggins issued a press release Friday alleging the Fayette County Board of Education publicly announced a resignation that never happened, cited the wrong Kentucky statutes to justify placing him on administrative leave, and installed a replacement superintendent without legal authority to do so.
The press release, dated June 19, 2026, gives FCPS a four-day deadline to rescind the administrative leave, withdraw the replacement-superintendent designation, and correct the public record. If the district does not comply, Dr. Liggins’ legal team has reserved the right to pursue contractual, statutory, constitutional, defamation, false-light, civil-rights, and tort claims.
According to the press release, Dr. Liggins proposed discussions toward a possible separation agreement — he did not submit an unconditional resignation. His attorneys allege he expressly corrected the Board’s characterization before the Board acted, yet the Board publicly announced a “resignation notice” anyway.
The press release also notes a striking internal contradiction in the Board’s own June 11 letter: the document’s letterhead continued to identify “Superintendent: Demetrus Liggins, PhD” even while the body of the letter announced an “Acting Superintendent.”
Dr. Liggins’ attorneys argue the Board’s June 11 leave letter cited KRS 160.160 and KRS 160.370 — neither of which, according to counsel, expressly authorizes a board to indefinitely suspend a contracted superintendent, bar him from communicating with district-affiliated persons, exclude him from all school property, and install a substitute officeholder.
Counsel argues the Board deliberately avoided KRS 160.350, the statute that specifically governs superintendent terms, vacancies, acting appointments, and removal for cause, according to the press release.
The press release also invokes Lexington-Fayette’s unique status as Kentucky’s sole urban-county government under KRS Chapter 67A, arguing the Board’s legal framing is further flawed because Fayette County is not governed by the special Chapter 67C school-governance provisions applicable to a consolidated local government such as Louisville–Jefferson County.
Attorney Amos N. Jones issued a direct on-the-record statement in the press release.
“This is not administrative leave in any meaningful sense. They announced a resignation that never happened, displaced the lawful superintendent, installed another superintendent, silenced Dr. Liggins inside his own system, and then hired investigators to determine whether the result already imposed should be imposed. Kentucky law does not allow a school board to manufacture a vacancy, perform a removal first, and search for a justification afterward,” Jones said.
According to the press release, Dr. Liggins’s contract runs through June 30, 2029. His attorneys allege the Board’s actions breach that contract by stripping him of his office, authority, professional standing, and future-career value while continuing to pay his salary. The contract reportedly prohibits reassignment without Dr. Liggins’s express written consent.
The press release notes that any litigation or settlement arising from this dispute could carry significant financial consequences for Fayette County taxpayers.
The press release places individual Board members — not just the institution — on notice of potential personal legal exposure. Attorneys cite what they describe as a false resignation narrative, the alleged creation of a fictitious vacancy, concerted displacement, and a false-light portrayal of Dr. Liggins. The notice also warns Board members that attorneys retained by FCPS may not represent their individual interests and that they should have received Upjohn warnings about privilege and conflicts.
According to the press release, counsel has demanded preservation of all communications, drafts, closed-session materials, media contacts, video records, investigative instructions, succession discussions, and communications with public officials, unions, employees, activists, and outside counsel. The inclusion of “media contacts” and “communications with public officials” in the demand suggests Dr. Liggins’ legal team believes there may be involvement by parties beyond the Board itself.
As of Friday, June 19, 2026, the four-day deadline issued to FCPS is running. If the district does not comply, Dr. Liggins’ legal team has indicated it will pursue legal action.
Summer practice is full underway for the 2026-27 Kentucky men’s basketball squad. And while the on-court teaching is critical to the offseason, what’s happening off the floor is equally as important.
Earlier this week, head coach Mark Pope and the entire team made a trip to the Kentucky Children’s Hospital, where they helped put together Father’s Day goodie bags, built toys, played board games with the kids, and shared laughs all around. Watching Franck Kepnang, Mason Williams, and Jerone Morton smile ear-to-ear while losing in a board game will make your heart full.
This was more than just a quick stop, though. This was about building real relationships and putting smiles on the faces of kids who deserve it. Returning center Malachi Moreno even reconnected with one of his new friends.
“There was a kid I’ve actually kept in touch with for a while. His name’s Jackson,” Moreno said Thursday. “Took some of my teammates in to meet him. I met him at Dance Blue. We’ve been playing Fortnite together. Got his PSN (PlayStation Network) tag and we’re going to play some Fortnite. Me, him, Kam (Williams), and Trent (Noah), we’re gonna play some Fortnite together.
“He’s such a cool kid. I think the guys really took in what it means to be at this brand. We walk in any room, we’re gonna brighten someone’s day. They might not be as fortunate as us but we’re taking time out of our day to go see them, and we’re having fun with it. I just wanted them to realize how much fun these kids are having with us.”
Judging by the video that UK put out on Thursday (which you can watch below) , it sure looks like everyone was having a blast. Some things are bigger than basketball.
-
New Hampshire6 minutes agoLowell High freshman fatally shot in Salem, NH
-
New Jersey9 minutes agoVote: Who should be the New Jersey High School Softball Player of the Year for 2026?
-
New Mexico14 minutes agoNM FAST launches space SBIR/STTR accelerator for New Mexico startups
-
North Carolina21 minutes agoNCDEQ offering $18 million in grants to clean up debris from Hurricane Helene
-
North Dakota24 minutes agoPage Days returns 1 year after destructive storm
-
Ohio29 minutes agoBlack bear spotted in Licking County as sightings rise across Ohio
-
Oklahoma36 minutes agoOklahoma State Football Target Israel Hammons Commits to Cowboys
-
Oregon39 minutes agoHow to stay cool and limit health risks during Oregon summer heat
