Jim Newby thinks some in town need to 'develop a little testicular fortitude'
He also would like your vote to return him to City Hall this election
RICHMOND—Every sitting member of the City Commission is running for re-election. We offered to interview all of them so they could make their case for why they deserve to stay in City Hall.
And not one of them responded.
Of course we're disappointed the incumbents at the helm of one of Kentucky's fastest growing cities collectively decided to blow off the news outlet with the most readers countywide.
But we don't think their refusal to share their vision for Richmond's future and why they think they deserve to be in charge of it should mean you don't get the information you need to decide wisely at the polls.
Which is why if Richmond's elected officials won't give you that, we will.
By Wednesday of this week, it was clear we'd have to get a wiggle on if we were going to have this information for you by today, but our team here at The Edge is dedicated to bringing you the best news coverage Madison County has to offer, so we did it, all while continuing to cover our regular beats.
Thank you to my two reporters, Jemi Chew and Aubrey Kimble for moving quickly on this when I asked them to. They both worked equally hard gathering the research on each Commissioner and the Mayor.
We combed through our own coverage, other media reports, and City records to track trends in how these incumbents voted on issues that matter most to Richmond residents at a time when Richmond has been cited in the US Census as the part of the fastest growing micro-regions in the US.
Also, at a time when delays and overruns on construction of a multi-million dollar sports complex has also resulted in serious damage to private property.
And, at a time when questions about how economic development will be achieved as employment at the Blue Grass Army Depot is in flux, and nearly 1,500 contiguous acres of land on Duncannon Lane zoned for industry and with critical infrastructure has sat idle for years.
We asked, did they introduce any ordinances to address these concerns? Did they take an independent stand on anything? What did they spend the most time talking about? What did they ignore?
Then there is the mistrust between City Hall and the City Commission. Although an investigation was conducted into allegations of a hostile work environment, it's not clear whether the reported dysfunction has been addressed and whether it might have anything to do with the City's higher than average turn-over rates.
We are aware that at least two incumbents, Commissioner Mike Brewer and Mayor Robert Blythe, have been in office for 18 and 25 years respectively, indicating Richmond voters apparently like what they see. But then again, maybe Richmond voters don't know what they don't know.
This report shows you what we found.
Next week, we will bring you a profile of incumbent Mayor Robert Blythe.
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Whitney McKnight,
Founder and Publisher,
The Edge
RICHMOND—Former firefighter and current Commissioner Jim Newby has been in the spotlight recently due to his apparent issues with alcohol. But of all the incumbents, he appears to be the only one to routinely listen to constituents.
He also has the most colorful, if sometimes confusing, speech.
Growth and development
Newby has consistently voted against controversial zone changes for new housing developments and has stated publicly during meetings and on Facebook that the City does not need new apartments.
“If all of you builders and developers care so much about the City of Richmond, then get together and build a homeless shelter,” Newby said in a Facebook post. “Then we can talk about lining your pockets with some new apartments.”
Newby has often characterized housing development as a “cash grab,” stating during a special called meeting on June 22 that “Whether it’s the lawyers, the builders, the contractors, they’re making money. And if they tell you anything different, they’re lying to you.”
During a Commission meeting on May 26 this year, Newby said during the past 12 years he has voted no on all proposed zone changes involving housing developments on Goggins Lane, Barnes Mill Road, and Tates Creek Road. Newby brought up concerns about traffic congestion and the area becoming too crowded.
“As leaders, or the community, we all get so wrapped up in, hey, we’re the first or second fastest growing City in the state,” Newby said during the May meeting. “I think some members of all boards need to develop a little testicular fortitude and vote no once in a while.”
He also voted no during a meeting in November 2023 for a zone change to build more apartments along Concord Road. However, he has voted in favor of zone changes on certain housing developments, such as Carriage Place on Berea Road, which have not received public opposition.
Interlocal agreement for regional business park
In late 2024, Newby voted down Richmond's participation in an interlocal agreement with the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Scott County, Madison County, Georgetown, and Berea that would have required the City to commit $500,000 toward a regional business park. As part of the deal, Richmond would have received 8.33% of the revenue generated by the system of regional parks.
Newby initially had been in favor of the project. When he reversed course, he said that even though he thought the agreement was a good idea, voters didn't want it, so he couldn't vote for it. Georgetown's municipal government also opted out of the agreement.
On Newby’s campaign website, he states that he will “work to attract responsible businesses while supporting the small businesses that give Richmond its character.”
Richmond Regional Sports Park
Newby voted to approve purchase of land for the 280-acre Richmond Regional Sports Complex on Goggins Lane when it was first presented to the Commission during a regular meeting on November 23, 2021. He expressed support for the sports park on a Facebook post in 2024, stating “I say to the park naysayers that if not a park there would have been 6 to 8 hundred more apartments [on Goggins Lane and Tates Creek Road].”
When poor management of the sports complex construction site led to a neighboring property being flooded in May 2025, Newby directly responded, helping the private property owner contact the contractors responsible for the damage. The damage to the property has persisted, however.
Neither Newby, nor any of the other Commissioners, have asked for any investigation into the delays and overruns at the sports complex.
During a recent Commission meeting, Newby said that the City “put[s] a lot of attention into our new parks and it’s great,” but, he said that Irvine McDowell Park should also be prioritized, saying that it was the “history of Richmond” and that Richmond’s girl’s softball league deserved better facilities.
911 fee
In 2025, Newby voted to end the City’s participation in a countywide collection of 911 service fees that would have been calculated based on a property’s square footage and zoning.
The move was a reversal of an order the Commission had already unanimously passed to accept the City's portion of the fee. Newby and his fellow Commissioners reversed their decision after Blythe claimed, without evidence, that the County acted in bad faith when negotiating the fees.
“So, what we’re doing as a City Commission, we're going to pit [sic] the bill for our citizens of Richmond for this year, put our heads together immediately and try to figure out for the future, and if it’s something in the future, everyone will know, have a heads up, whatever we decide to do,” Newby said, explaining his decision to pull out of the agreement. “And you know folks, if that’s not leadership, I don’t know what the hell is. And I want to challenge the other two [local] entities out there to step up and be leaders and do the same thing.”
'Toxic' culture
During an executive session on March 7, 2024, Newby voted to launch an investigation against City Manager Rob Minerich. The investigation was prompted by an email Commissioner Tammy Cole received from an anonymous City Hall employee accusing Minerich of sexual harassment, inappropriate comments, and creating a toxic work culture.
The anonymous email arrived after a Facebook post from Newby criticized City Hall's workplace culture and treatment of citizens, according to a report.
Newby referenced the investigation during a regular meeting in March 2024, where he recommended tabling a pay increase for City employees until the conclusion of the investigation. At the time he did not mention that it involved Minerich. Minerich later said it was a “breach of confidentiality” for Newby to have made that statement because the decision to launch the investigation was made in executive session.
The results of the investigation were mixed, leading Newby to express skepticism about the way the investigation was conducted. Newby has consistently criticized the work culture at City Hall throughout his tenure, including in a Facebook post on how “a lot of [City Hall employee] issues seem to die during the rise up the chain of command.”
In 2021 Newby filed a complaint to the Richmond Ethics Board claiming that Minerich was attempting to sway voters against him. Minerich had texted a citizen on his private social media account stating his opinion that Newby should not be reelected. The board dismissed the complaint. Newby accused Minerich of wanting a Commission “that would secure his existence."
Minerich also accused Newby of trying to sway votes against mayoral candidate Ed McDaniel, referencing a heated standoff between McDaniel and Grant Woleslagel, Newby’s friend, that resulted in McDaniel placing a gun on the hood of his truck. Police reported Woleslagel was on the phone with Newby during the altercation.
Flock cameras
In a statement to the Register, Newby said he understood concerns about how law enforcement use Flock camera technology, but ultimately expressed support for how it allowed the police to solve crimes.
Data centers
Newby expressed concerns about how data centers would impact utility bills and said that he would “hesitate to lose greenspace to a data center.”
However the City has taken no action toward a data center moratorium and has not had any public discussions regarding data centers.
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