What would it look like if everyday Lexingtonians - not just elected officials - had a direct hand in shaping how the city works? That’s exactly what Richard Young and his team at CivicLex are putting into motion with a groundbreaking Civic Assembly and a once-in-a-generation review of Lexington’s city charter.

In this episode of DevelopLex, Ross sits down with Richard to unpack the bold new approach CivicLex is taking to improve Lexington’s civic health - the city’s ability to make decisions that reflect the values, needs, and diversity of its people.

Richard explains how CivicLex grew from a local project into a nationally recognized model for civic engagement, and why updating the city charter could be the most important local effort you haven’t heard about - until now.

Through a process modeled after jury duty (but way more empowering), CivicLex is selecting 36 random, representative residents to deliberate on major topics like council structure, redistricting, and public input and recommend changes that could directly shape Lexington’s future.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

- Why the city charter is Lexington’s version of a constitution and why it matters- How CivicLex is using sortition to build a Civic Assembly that mirrors the city- What “civic health” means and how it impacts development and governance- Why this charter review process is Lexington’s most democratic effort in decades- How this model could be used for other contentious local issues- What it takes to engage people meaningfully, not just performatively, in government

Hosted by: Ross Boggess

Supported by:SVN Stone Commercial Real EstateCraftsman ContractorsBowmanCommunity Trust Bank

83. Democracy by Design: How Richard Young & CivicLex are Making Local Government More Representative