In final 'State of the City' address, Louisville mayor says he hopes to leave on positive note

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mayor Greg Fischer took the podium Thursday for his final "State of the City" address.

Louisville's mayor since 2010, Fischer said he has witnessed the city change drastically during his time in office. He touted economic development growth, affordable housing opportunities and an array of initiatives to invest in the city's youth.

"I am very pleased to report that the state of our city is strong," he told the crowd of attendees.

Fischer touched on Louisville's two new bridges, 100 new hotels, stadiums, roads and various other growth during his administration. He added that the Beecher Terrace redevelopment helped grow opportunities for the city's low-income population.

Programs that the Fischer administration helped create such as SummerWorks, Cultural Pass and Evolve 502 all focus on investing into the city's younger population. He called the younger generation of Louisville the "backbone of any city's economy."

"In this dynamic community, it is absolutely essential for Louisville to prosper economically and culturally," he said.

There were things that proved to be difficult during his time as Louisville's mayor, Fischer said.

"I'm proud and grateful for what has been accomplished since I became your mayor, but I also say that mayors are in the reality business," he told the audience in the Kentucky International Convention Center. "So, there are always challenges to face."

Among those challenges, of course, stood the COVID-19 pandemic. Fischer addressed the obstacles of the pandemic and how he felt the city responded correctly.

"Our public health team launched LouVax with over 1,000 volunteers, spread knowledge about the dastardly virus throughout the community, and vaccines and testing are now readily available everywhere," he said.

The efforts, his administration boasts, helped pave the way for Louisville's current vaccination status. Fischer said 74% of residents have received at least one vaccine, while 64% are fully-vaccinated.

Fischer believes the wave of omicron may be weakening.

"We've learned to remain humble to this virus, but data shows that better days are certainly ahead," Fischer said.

Fischer also faced civil unrest followed by the death of Breonna Taylor, coupled with record-breaking gun violence in Louisville. He was criticized for his response to these issues but thanked citizens Thursday for keeping him in check.

"I'm grateful to be a part of a community that holds it leader accountable to the idea of a beautiful human value like compassion," he said.

The social justice movement prompted Fischer's administration to immediately seek change in leadership and policing. Former Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired, and the administration appointed Erika Shields. The Mayor's Office was instrumental in conducting a third-party, top-to-bottom review of LMPD that initiated dozens of changes within the department.

"We know that critical to our residents being safe is having trust in law enforcement," Fischer said Thursday. "That's why we undertook an independent, top-to-bottom review of our police department after the 2020 civil unrest, resulting in over 100 recommendations being implemented."

Fischer said he is hopeful that what the city experienced in 2020 will shape the future.

"We must honor the pain of 2020 by creating a more just Louisville, and in so doing, become a model for all of America," he said.

Fischer said he is not done just yet. He's got plans for several new initiatives in 2022 that include:

The launch of a universal basic income pilot to counter poverty and promote financial stability and opportunity
Work to further address the challenges of those who are unhoused
Plans for a digital inclusion program to provide refurbished computers to close the digital divide
A program to increase use of solar installations to boost the city’s sustainability efforts
An expansion of Lean Into Louisville “to unify our city around fairness, opportunity and compassion"

Fischer closed with promising Louisville that his efforts will continue through the end of this legacy term.

"You have my commitment that I will be running through the finish line in this, my final year in office," he said.

Fischer did not take any questions from media during the event. A spokesperson said the administration would "let the speech speak for itself."