LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Louisville Metro Council prepared to vote on a city budget Thursday afternoon, dozens gathered outside City Hall to deliver more than just a stack of petitions.
Black Lives Matter Louisville and others showed up and rallied on the City Hall steps to urge Metro Council to cut the Louisville Metro Police budget by $50 million and invest those savings in other programs and initiatives.
But, as President David James, D-6, explained to group members during a conversation with them, there was not enough appetite on council to consider such a request.
Hours later, council passed a budget for the next fiscal year — which begins in July — that keeps LMPD's budget mostly steady.
The budget, instead, aims to cut a spike in violent crime in other, less traditional ways.
Millions of dollars will go to a variety of initiatives the mayor said will help "reimagine" public safety when he proposed much of the spending in a request earlier this year:
- Violence prevention programs, some of which will be operated by the city's Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods
- A program, operated by Emergency Services, to send social workers or mental health professionals to some 911 calls
- More opportunities for young people who lack hope and are susceptible to crime
The budget also tries to address a police department currently short 241 officers. A council amendment makes $9.9 million available to provide raises for first responders, if such raises are approved in union contract negotiations.
"I do see some very great things in this budget," Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19, said of the budget as a whole. "I think what we have here is precisely that: a great budget that makes significant strides."
However, some council members like Paula McCraney, D-7, questioned if the budget is "bold" enough to move the city forward and reverse a deadly trend of violent crime.
"Don't believe the hype," she said. "Louisville, we deserve better, and we deserve to build back better than what this budget calls for."
McCraney also argued the budget does not do enough to address other big problems present in Louisville: homelessness and a lack of affordable housing.
Councilman Bill Hollander, D-9, the chair of the budget committee, said he hopes fixing those issues will be the focus of federal stimulus funds provided to the city by the American Rescue Plan (ARP). After considering input from the community, council will decide how to spend millions of dollars of those funds in the coming months.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Metro Council President David James
After passing the city budget in a lengthy meeting Thursday, Metro Council voted to spend a small portion of the funds on various initiatives and expenditures.
Council President David James, D-6, proposed spending $4 million of the ARP funds to allow LMPD officers to work more overtime in response to the violent trend. But James' proposed amendment encountered resistance from some on council, who argued more input was needed from LMPD before moving forward on the idea.
James said he plans to raise the issue again when council returns from a break in July.
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