What ideas do Lexington First Council District candidates have on crime, housing?

The race for the First Council District seat will pit an incumbent against her former council aide and a political newcomer.

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman Tayna Fogle, who was first elected in 2022, is also an organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Tyler Morton, her former council aide, is an operating room technician.

Also in the race is Darnell Tagaloa. Tagaloa is a sales executive for Pepsi Cola and a longtime First District resident.

The top two vote getters on May 21 will move on to the November general election. Early, no-excuse voting starts May 16 and ends May 18.

The race has not been without controversy.

In late February, Fogle accused Morton of taking email addresses from her office prior to quitting in June 2023. Morton worked for Fogle for six months. Morton denied he took the email addresses through an email software program called Mail Chimp.

Fogle was arrested at a Lexington AT&T store in early March after she complained about not being able to fix problems with her account. Police alleged Fogle at first resisted law enforcement’s attempt to get her to leave the store. Fogle eventually left, but when officers tried to put their hands on her, she resisted, police said in a citation.

Fogle pleaded not guilty to criminal trespassing third degree, menacing and resisting arrest, which are misdemeanor charges. In late April, all charges against Fogle were dismissed at the request of a special prosecutor who said there was not enough evidence to prosecute Fogle.

Morton, Fogle and Tagaloa said they want to focus on issues facing the First District, not past controversies. The First District includes parts of downtown Lexington north of Main Street and extends to Interstate 75. It includes neighborhoods along Newtown Pike, North Broadway and North Limestone.

Fogle said she has worked hard to improve parks in the neighborhood, including the rebuilding of the Douglass Pool, which is currently under construction, improvements to the district’s sports courts, and multiple paving and public works projects. She said she’s also pushed for funding for more safe pedestrian crossings around First District schools.

She’s just getting started and deserves another two years to continue her track record of getting stuff done, Fogle said.

Morton said he has long championed the First District and pledged to be accessible and transparent.

“I am running for the First District Council seat to unify our district by following three principles: accessible leadership, information, and resource sharing and addressing our challenges head-on through innovative problem-solving,” Morton said.

Tagaloa said he is not a politician but will work hard to listen to First District residents and be a bridge between those neighborhoods and city government.

“I was born and raised in the First District,” Tagaloa said. “I know the families in the First District. My family roots are in the First District. I have experienced violence first hand.”

Council races are nonpartisan. Council members make $39,963, according to city budget documents.

Kentucky Registry of Election Finance reports filed April 23 showed Morton has a nearly 20-to-1 fundraising lead over Fogle. Morton has raised $22,940. Fogle has raised $1,205. Tagaloa has not raised any money, according to reports.

Homelessness, affordable housing

Fogle said she has advocated for more services for the city’s unhoused population. Many services for people experiencing homelessness are in the First District, including the Hope Center, the city’s largest shelter for men.

A mobile “dignity station,” which will allow unhoused people to shower, wash their clothes and use the bathroom will be unveiled soon. Two nonprofits have agreed to allow the mobile dignity station to park on its property, she said.

“We can’t get them decent jobs if they are wearing clothes they have been in for a whole week,” Fogle said.

More recently, Fogle organized a feeding program for Fayette County Public School students during spring break with the city’s parks department. This was the second year for the program that sent more than 500 dinners home this year with students who came to the city’s parks.

Morton said he, too, would look for innovative ways to address homelessness and move more people into housing.

“We must look at the root cause of homelessness and invest in mental health and substance abuse services, job training programs, outreach teams and education,” Morton said.

Tagaloa said he doesn’t have a specific program or idea to address homelessness but thinks the city needs to do more to be transparent about what it is doing to tackle the problem.

Affordable housing and gentrification — displacement of residents who want to live in the city’s north end — is another long-standing issue in the First District.

More recently, a group of banks, Transylvania University and various nonprofits announced the sale of the former Transylvania baseball fields for an affordable housing development. The Kentucky General Assembly also set aside $10 million for the project. A zone change and plans for the project have not been announced, which angered many in the Radcliffe Marlboro neighborhood who said they were not told about the plans before they were announced.

Morton said he hopes the developers make good on promises to increase communication with the neighborhood.

“Without that trust, the project will not be successful,” Morton said. “I look forward to the developers and the Marlboro Radcliffe neighborhood having more discussions and those concerns are heard.”

Fogle said she has attended meetings where the developers have said they will work with the neighborhood.

“There’s a lot of concerns about loss of that green space,” Fogle said, among other concerns about the affordable housing project. Fogle said she will help foster a relationship between neighbors and the developers.

“I will be a voice for Marlboro,” Fogle said.

Tagaloa said there needs to be better communication between the developers and neighborhoods after construction starts.

“It can take a long time for construction to be completed in the First District,” Tagaloa said.

Morton said he would also like to see the city look at more innovative partnerships to spur more affordable housing in other parts of Lexington.

“Other cities, such as Cincinnati, have instituted a program to allow the government to acquire properties through a landbank or other holding entity, and/or acquire vacant properties with the goal of creating affordable housing,” Morton said.

More emphasis on financial literacy and helping people understand how to budget and save can go a long way toward helping people secure housing, Tagaloa said.

“I think financial literacy is a huge problem in the First District,” Tagaloa said.

Housing prices and rents are increasing across the country, not just in Lexington or the First District, he said.

“We need to raise wages,” Tagaloa said.

Lexington tried to increase the minimum wage several years ago but the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled cities did not have the authority to do so.

“We have affordable housing projects that aren’t really affordable,” Tagaloa said. Getting a Housing Choice or Section 8 voucher is not easy. Those vouchers help people pay all or part of their rent.

Crime, gun violence and mental health services

Crime and gun violence are another top concern in the First District, and a personal issue for all three candidates.

“Our youth need something to do,” Morton said. “I would advocate for expanding the hours of our community centers and provide more mental health resources.”

Fogle said she also believes the city’s community centers in many of its parks are an underutilized resource that can help teens and young adults by providing more job training. Having more city staff in those parks will also help provide more activities to kids and teens, she said. Fogle said she would like to see an expansion of mental health services to teens and kids. Many of those teens have experienced trauma and need help they aren’t getting, Fogle said.

Fogle recently participated in a gun violence task force with council, which met for more than a year. One of its recommendations was expansion of community center hours.

Tagaloa said there needs to be more transparency and trust between residents, police and city hall.

“Many crimes that we are dealing with are a direct result of poverty,” Tagaloa said. One Lexington, which focuses on teen and young adult violence prevention through mentoring and other programs, does an excellent job, Tagaloa said.

“But they are dealing with kids who have already signed up,” Tagaloa said. “I want to reach the kids who are already carrying (guns).”

Tagaloa has been involved with the criminal justice system. In 2014 he was charged with first degree criminal abuse of a child, according to the court records. After a jury trial in 2017, he was convicted of third degree criminal abuse, a lesser, misdemeanor charge, and was sentenced to seven days in jail. He got credit for time served and was in jail for less than two days, court records show and Tagaloa confirmed. Tagaloa also was charged in 2014 on some traffic violations and a marijuana possession charge. He pleaded guilty to the marijuana possession and failure to maintain his insurance charges, both misdemeanors.

Tagaloa said he did not want to speak directly to the 2014 criminal abuse charges but said he doesn’t hide the fact that he has a criminal record. In 2009, he was also arrested on resisting arrest charges. Tagaloa represented himself and got those charges dismissed, court records show.

“I am transparent,” Tagaloa said.

Fogle also has a criminal record including a 1991 possession of a controlled substance. Fogle, who has been in recovery for more than 20 years, has been a vocal supporter of those in recovery and those re-entering society from jail or prison and frequently speaks of her past criminal charges. Fogle, as an organizer with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, advocated for changes to state laws that allow for felony and misdemeanor expungement of past criminal charges.

Why they are the best candidate

Fogle said she wants to continue many of the projects she started. It takes time for council members to learn the job and she wants a chance to do more for her neighbors and the city.

“I am the best candidate,” Fogle said, pointing to her myriad initiatives in parks, streets and roads, and housing that are still ongoing.

“Look at my track record after one year,” Fogle said. “I have heard my residents and have worked hard to represent them. Give me a chance to complete what I started.”

If elected, Morton said he would be accessible and transparent. He would increase communications between the First District office and his constituents.

“I am a respected community leader, a committed healthcare professional, and a passionate voice for the under-served marginalized communities in Lexington. Humility, integrity and grace were instilled within me from day one. These values have led me to my calling which is public service,” he said.

Tagaloa said he wants to make sure First District residents are heard at city hall.

“I’m not a politician. I am a community activist that understands politics and promise not to let my community down,” he said.

Tayna Fogle

Age: 64 (or 16; Fogle was born Feb. 29)

Family: Two kids, eleven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren

Work experience: Organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and has been involved with dozens of nonprofit groups over the years.

Education: University of Kentucky, B.A. Therapeutic recreation (also played on UK women’s basketball team)

Other offices held: Elected as a councilwoman for the First District in 2022.

Tyler Morton

Age: 25

Family: Single

Work experience: Former council aide to Fogle; anesthesia technician, co-founder of nonprofit Resilience Charity

Education: University of Kentucky, B.A. sociology; Eastern Kentucky University, Masters in Public Administration

Other offices held: No elected public offices.

Darnell Tagaloa

Age: 37

Family: Father of three

Work experience: Current account manager for Pepsi Cola; former account manager for Coca Cola; former business development manager for iHeartRadio

Education: Lafayette High School; also attended University of Louisville, Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Other offices held: No elected public offices.