Mayor Linda Gorton swears in Tom Eblen as Lexington’s new 3rd District council member

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A new face is now representing Lexington’s 3rd District on the Urban County Council.

Mayor Linda Gorton officially welcomed Tom Eblen during a swearing-in ceremony Tuesday at the Lexington Government Center.

Eblen steps into the role following the resignation of former council member Hannah LeGris.

A longtime Lexington resident and former journalist with the Herald-Leader, Eblen says he’s excited to move from covering local government to being part of it.

“One thing is I’ve always admired Lexington government — the way it works. I think our state and federal government could learn a lot from a nonpartisan, problem-solving way that we get things done here,” Eblen said. “I know a lot of people in city government, have a lot of respect for what they do, and I saw it as an opportunity to contribute to my community. I’ve done that in other ways as a neighborhood leader and as a board member, but this gives me an inside look at government after watching it from the outside for many decades.”

Mayor Gorton said she personally selected Eblen for the position, noting that he reflects the values she believes are important for representing the 3rd District.

Eblen will now begin serving on the Urban County Council as the district’s new voice in city leadership.