KENTUCKY — Before her current position as Mayor of Lexington, Linda Gorton served 16 years on the Lexington-Fayette County Urban County Council, including 4 years as Vice Mayor.

Since being elected as mayor to Kentucky's second largest city, Gorton said her administration has been focused on creating more affordable housing. Gorton and the council agreed to put $10 million of American Rescue Plan funds toward affordable housing.

Her approved $472 million budget also provides an additional $2 million toward the effort and creates a $1 million Neighborhood Investment Fund. That fund will allow organizations to turn abandoned properties into affordable housing and help fight gentrification.

"This is for people who are on the edge and cannot afford housing in the market. And normally in our budget we include money also and I did include $2 million in the budget itself. So we have a total of $12 million to go to affordable housing," explained Mayor Gorton.

Also during this In Focus Kentucky segment, Lexington's Mayor discusses new plans to purchase 30 acres on the Kentucky River, the only public access to the river in Fayette County.

“I have been working on this project since my first day in the Mayor’s Office, and I am thrilled that it’s finally happening,” Gorton said. “This will provide new opportunities for recreation in Lexington. It will be a beautiful new park. And those who love kayaks and canoes will have a place to get onto the river and travel 12 miles between locks.”

The city has signed an agreement of sale for the property with John Kelley, whose family has owned the property for decades. The property is located off Old Richmond Road, near the I-75 bridge into Madison County.

The property will be paid for with Parks Acquisition Funds, fees developers pay to the city that are used specifically to acquire parks property. The cost is $1.16 million.

The sale must first be approved by the Urban County Council.

You can watch the full In Focus segment in the player above.