Davidson County and City of Lexington amend Sewer Agreement
At the February 2, 2023 meeting of the Davidson County Board of Commissioners, the Board voted unanimously to amend its 2018 Sewer Agreement with the City of Lexington. The amended agreement includes a one-time payment of $5-million to the City of Lexington by Davidson County in exchange for an additional 500,000 gallons per day of wastewater sewer capacity. This additional wastewater capacity is vital for economic growth within both Davidson County and the City of Lexington.
This action is the culmination of 18-months of work between leaders of Davidson County Government, the City of Lexington, and State Representatives. Chiefly, County Sewer Committee Members, Vice-chair Todd Yates, Commissioner Steve Shell, and Commissioner Karen Watford, along with Lexington Mayor Jason Hayes, Senator Steve Jarvis, and State Representatives Larry Potts and Sam Watford played a critical role in making this amended agreement a reality.
Vice-chair Yates thanked Mayor Hayes for his professionalism as County and City leadership worked through the details to amend the agreement. “Your City, (and) your City Council ought to be proud of you because you’re a professional. You handled things in a professional way.”
When addressing the Board of Commissioners regarding the amended agreement, Mayor Hayes spoke on the importance of partnership, “When the County wins, the City wins, and when Lexington as a City wins, the County wins.”
The $5-million the County used to purchase additional capacity was awarded through the State for sewer expansion and infrastructure enhancements.
The following statements have been made following the meeting:
Chair Fred McClure: “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work and cooperation between the County and Lexington City. It will allow for more business and residential development. As the chair, I congratulate all the parties involved and look forward to more partnerships.”
Mayor Jason Hayes: “I am very excited about this opportunity for partnership between the City of Lexington and Davidson County and hope that this will lead to more opportunities for partnership in the future.”
Representative Sam Watford: “This is an excellent example of how positive policy decisions made today, affect future generations.”
Representative Larry Potts: “Being a former commissioner, it is certainly good when the municipalities and county work together to create employment opportunities for its citizens. When one part of the County benefits, the entire County benefits.”
Vice-Chairman Todd Yates: “I’m looking forward to our relationship in the future.”
Senator Steve Jarvis: “I was so happy to be a small part in securing funding and working through relationships with the City and County. The Davidson County State delegation collaborated with the City and County to improve relationships and work for the betterment of the entire County. I look forward to continuing to work toward this effort. Sewer expansion is key to the growth and economic development of the County”
County Manager Casey Smith: “Wastewater sewer capacity is the key to growth for any community. I am proud of the work accomplished here, as it will further economic development opportunities within both Davidson County and the City of Lexington.”
