WHEREAS, section 4.11 of the Charter, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, sets forth that the urban county council shall appoint a citizens' advocate to provide the residents of Fayette County with an independent agent through whom they can seek redress of their grievances; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of this Charter provision that the citizens' advocate function as an ombudsman so that a resident of Fayette County aggrieved by the action or inaction of an official, agent or employee of the urban county government may be able to state their grievance to an official functionary empowered to investigate and express recommendation; and
WHEREAS, an integral function of the office of the citizens' advocate is to inform the urban county council of the activities of the citizens' advocate; and
WHEREAS, the citizens' advocate must necessarily deal with executive and administrative personnel within the urban county government in the performance of their duties; and
WHEREAS, it is advantageous to establish a procedure within the urban county government for response to requests from the office of the citizens' advocate, in order to maximize efficiency and speed the resolution of grievances, and to prevent disruption of governmental service; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary and proper to enumerate and clarify the duties of the citizens' advocate to effect the primary purpose of the office of the citizens' advocate: the remedy of residents' grievances.
(Res. No. 599-2023, § 2, 11-2-23)