Observer
Corps
The purpose of the LWV Observer Corps is to protect our democracy by observing our government in action. We promote local government transparency, accountability, and civic engagement by monitoring government meetings and reporting back to the community. We address questions such as:
How does our local government tackle important community concerns like affordable housing, economic development, and public safety?
How does our local government promote transparency and public participation about issues?
What are the ways our local government is affected by current state and federal policies?
If questions like these concern you, we urge you to join our Observer Corps! Our volunteers each select a government organization they would like to know more about, regularly attend the group’s meetings, and submit a standard report after each session. In order to expand our reach, we need more observers and volunteers. The more Observer Corps members we have, the more agencies we can observe and the more we can advocate for the public!
When you contact us, we will share information about all that we do and help you get started, but you also may want to begin exploring on your own. Click the button to learn more:
Availability
Weekdays or Evenings
Various Locations
In Person or Online
Fill out our Volunteer Form (linked above) or contact the Committee Chair: sharon.stewart@lwvlexington.com
Click to complete the online Observer Corps Report Form
Look What We Have Been Doing!
We are growing! Since the Lexington LWV Observer began as a small pilot project in fall of 2023, the number of members has increased from 6 to 11, and the number of reports filed annually has almost tripled from 25 in 2023-24 to more than 70 so far in 2025-26. See the List of Agencies we presently observe and our 2025-26 Annual Report for more details. You can see all of Observer Corps Annual Reports from past years HERE.
Partnership With CivicLex
In December 2025, the Lexington LWV and CivicLex partnered to scale up our coverage of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government meetings. By coordinating our monitoring efforts, we avoid overlap and track more committees, boards, and commissions. Observer Corps volunteers attend these sessions and provide brief summaries that are edited and shared widely through The CivicLex Weekly. This free, widely-read newsletter serves as a powerful tool to bring civic transparency directly to our community. Sign up for the Weekly if you haven’t already!
Click HERE to read the Observer Corps summaries that have appeared in the CivicLex Weekly.
OUr NEWEST PROJECT:
LWVUS has declared that the United States is experiencing a constitutional crisis with an assault on the traditional checks and balances of our republic. In response, Lexington Observer Corps launched Who Decides for the Bluegrass? . This new initiative tracks the ways in which local decision making and services are being impacted by the disregard of traditional state and federal roles and responsibilities. LEARN MORE