Councilmember Bill Farmer, Jr. has spent the last three decades working to correct infrastructure challenges, balance economic trends and bring opportunities to Lexington-Fayette County.

 

His priorities have always been to develop responsible, balanced city budgets; conduct audits and oversight of public agencies; fund more police officers to keep our city safe; and support sewer repair and maintenance, as well as street paving and sidewalk upkeep.

 

During his service on Lexington’s Urban County Council, Bill Farmer chaired the Environmental Quality & Public Works Committee, successfully implementing the federally mandated EPA Consent Decree, which ultimately corrected flooding and sanitary sewer overflows throughout Lexington-Fayette County.

 

He also chaired the Sister Cities Commission; served on the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee; the General Government & Social Services Committee; and as a member of the Lexington Center Board overseeing expansion and renovation of the newly appointed Central Bank Center at Rupp Arena.

 

He serves on the new Public Arts Commission working to implement the Percent for Arts Ordinance he fought to get passed. Bill brought new life to Lexington’s corridors as former chair of the Corridors Commission; chaired the Fire and EMS Task Force; served as chair of the Planning Committee through two complete updates of the Comprehensive Plan; and he chaired the committee that enacted Lexington’s Smoking Ban Ordinance.

 

Bill and his sister, Kristi Farmer Lykins, have proudly followed in their parents’ footsteps, successfully operating the Chevy Chase landmark, Farmer’s Jewelry, which is celebrating their 72nd year in business this year. Bill is past president of the Chevy Chase Merchants Association (now Chevy Chase Business Owners Association). Bill is also past president of the Lexington Forum, and he is a graduate of Henry Clay High School and the University of Kentucky. Bill and his wife, Kimberly Edmundson Farmer, are parents to Will and Amanda. They have three grandsons, Derek, Jackson and Rhett.