Editing Lexington, South Carolina (section)

==Government==
[[File:(120DPI)grayStateIcon.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Murray (South Carolina)|Lake Murray]] at Lexington.]]
Lexington has a [[mayor-council government]], consisting of seven council members, including the mayor. Lexington's style of government takes the form of a weak-mayor administration; each member of the council and the mayor has one vote in relation to town matters. The mayor does not have any veto authority or any formal power outside of the council. Each member of the council is elected at-large and serves a term of four years.<ref name="lexsc.com">{{cite web |url=http://lexsc.com/255/Mayor-Council |title=Mayor & Council}}</ref>

On December 4, 2023, Hazel Livingston, who had served as Mayor Pro-Tem since 2004, was sworn in as the first woman mayor of Lexington, South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.abccolumbia.com/2023/12/06/town-of-lexington-makes-history-at-swearing-in-ceremony-with-first-woman-mayor/ | title=Town of Lexington makes history at swearing-in ceremony with first woman mayor | date=December 6, 2023 }}</ref>

On November 5, 2013, incumbent Lexington mayor Randy Halfacre lost a reelection bid to Councilman Steve MacDougall by 18 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lexsc.com/election_results_2013.htm |title=Town of Lexington - Highlights |access-date=November 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109152050/http://www.lexsc.com/election_results_2013.htm |archive-date=November 9, 2013 }}</ref> A recount was initiated but the results remained the same.<ref name="lexington.wistv.com">{{cite web |url=http://lexington.wistv.com/news/politics/82753-newly-elected-lexington-mayor-sworn-monday |title=Newly-elected Lexington mayor sworn in Monday &#124; Politics &#124; Lexington News |access-date=December 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211033056/http://lexington.wistv.com/news/politics/82753-newly-elected-lexington-mayor-sworn-monday |archive-date=December 11, 2013 }}</ref> Steve MacDougall served as mayor for 10 years until 2023.

In 2015, Lexington's town council voted in a 5-1 motion to impose a 2% hospitality tax on all prepared food items. As a result, any prepared food item sold in the town, such as fast food or restaurant food items, has a total tax of 9%. The council vote garnered criticism after a county-wide tax referendum failed the year before; if passed the county would have increased sales tax by 1% for traffic improvements.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Stevens|first=Matthew|date=September 7, 2015|title=Lexington officials pass 2% hospitality tax|url=https://wach.com/news/local/lexington-officials-to-discuss-hospitality-tax-at-tuesday-meeting|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=WatchFox57}}</ref> The tax generates over two million dollars annually, and the town uses the funds for road and traffic improvement, including the addition of turn lanes, the upgrading of traffic lights, and the improving of intersections.<ref name=":0" /> The largest project completed was the conversion of [[South Carolina Highway 6]] and Church Street to one-way streets in downtown Lexington in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Downtown Improvements|url=https://www.lexsc.com/271/Downtown-Improvements|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=Town of Lexington}}</ref> Future projects include the building of an overpass over [[Interstate 20]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Traffic and Tourism Projects|url=https://www.lexsc.com/268/Traffic-Tourism-Projects|access-date=June 29, 2020|website=Town of Lexington}}</ref>

On July 2, 2020, the town council passed a town ordinance requiring citizens to wear face masks in public to combat the [[COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mallory|first=Laurel|date=July 2, 2020|title=Town of Lexington announces face masks are now required in all retail businesses|url=https://www.wistv.com/2020/07/02/town-lexington-announces-face-masks-are-now-required-all-retail-businesses/|access-date=July 14, 2020|website=WISTV}}</ref> Councilman Todd Carnes drew criticism after stating three time in the council meeting that the government has "infinite power" to create laws such as these, but opposed enacting a face mask ordinance because "science does not indicate that it helps."<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 6, 2020|title=Town Council July Meeting, 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x21fdHmPJZY&feature=youtu.be| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/x21fdHmPJZY| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=July 14, 2020|website=Town of Lexington}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Elected Officials===

{| class=wikitable style="margin:0 0 0.5em 1em;"
|+Town of Lexington, SC Elected Officials<ref>{{cite web |title=Mayor & Council |url=https://www.lexsc.com/255/Mayor-Council |website=Town of Lexington |access-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref> 
!Name 
!Title
!Since
|- 
|Hazel Livingston
|Mayor
|December 2023
|-
|Ron Williams
|Mayor Pro-tem
|December 2023
|-
|Will Allen
|Council Member
|December 2023
|-
|Todd Carnes
|Council Member
|March 2014
|-
|Jeannie Michaels
|Council Member
|December 2023
|-
|Gavin James Smith
|Council Member
|May 2023
|-
|Todd Lyle
|Council Member
|November 2018
|}