In her 2026 State of the Town address, Town of Lexington Mayor Hazel Livingston talked about town safety, its police department, traffic, new businesses that joined the town in 2025 and more. Here are three takeaways:

Town of Lexington named safest city in South Carolina 2025

Livingston began her address by stating that the Town of Lexington was named “the safest city in South Carolina” in 2025 by SafeWise.com. The report showed a two-year decrease in property and violent crime. She attributed the title to the work of the men and women of the Lexington Police Department, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and received its ninth state accreditation award.

During that celebration, four officers were recognized with awards for saving a life: Patrol Officer Thomas Clark Lindsay, Patrol Officer Chad Beeson, Crime Scene Investigator Marc Miramontes and Officer Amber Harrison.

Traffic project on Highway 378 added a turn lane

Traffic projects were also discussed, as Livingston called roadway upgrades one of the town’s top priorities. She said the addition of language in the Local Transportation Improvement Plan, also known as “L-TIP 2.0,” aims to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic flow inside and outside town limits.

Livingston noted the addition of a right-turn lane from Highway 378 onto Mineral Springs Road, saying it has improved traffic flow in that area of Lexington.

Lexington’s Main Street attracted new businesses

In 2025, Lexington welcomed 10 new restaurants, six new retail stores and nine additional businesses, Livingston said, adding that eight of those businesses opened on Main Street in downtown.

To hear the whole address, visit the Town of Lexington’s YouTube.