Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A no-confidence vote in Mayor Greg Fischer is now before Louisville Metro Council after the resolution advanced from a committee Wednesday. 

Members of Council's Public Safety Committee were split 3-3 on the resolution in a mostly party-line vote, meaning it heads to full Council with no recommendation of its passage or failure. 

Democrat Mark Fox, D-13, joined Republicans James Peden, R-23, and Marilyn Parker, R-18, in supporting the resolution, while Democrats Barbara Shanklin, D-2, Barbara Sexton Smith, D-4, and Madonna Flood, D-24, voted against. Committee Chair Jessica Green, D-1, had an excused absence from the meeting.

The resolution, filed in August by seven Republican council members, would not force Fischer's resignation if it passes. Rather, it would only serve as an expression of the Council's opinion.

"They resemble opinions expressed in the editorial pages of the newspaper," Flood said in opposition to the measure. "That's what resolutions are."

Speaking before the committee Wednesday, Minority Caucus Chair Kevin Kramer, R-11, expressed "ever-eroding confidence" in Fischer, citing the city's economic troubles during the pandemic and allegations of sexual misconduct in Metro Animal Services, the Transit Authority of River City and the Louisville Metro Police Department's Explorer program. More recently, Republicans have expressed disappointment in Fischer's response to protests caused by the police shooting of Breonna Taylor.

Kramer said his lack of confidence was heightened when Metro Government recently sued Council in an attempt to block the chief of public safety and interim police chief from testifying in an open session about the city's response to the fatal shootings of Taylor and David McAtee and months of social justice protests. 

"It really comes down to the question of, is two more years of this going to get us to where we need to be?" Kramer said. "... We need a mayor who's ready to lead as soon as we can get going again. And the folks that he is supposed to lead don't believe in him. They don't trust him. They don't think he can get it done. Whether he was the guy at one point in time, I don't know, but I just don't see him having the support that he is going to need going forward."

Read the full no-confidence resolution below: 

Download PDF Metro Council no-confidence resolution regarding Mayor Greg Fischer

Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19, joined Kramer in criticizing the Fischer administration's recent lawsuit against Metro Council, calling the move "legal gymnastics." Circuit Court Judge Audra Eckerle on Tuesday ruled in favor of open session testimony.  

Piagentini also said Fischer's failure to successfully address public safety in Louisville has resulted in an uptick in homicides in 2020, which is challenging 2016 for the most ever in city history. 

Coming to Fischer's defense, Sexton Smith called the no-confidence resolution "the wrong action at the wrong time" and said there are many in the community who are "adamantly opposed" to it. 

She cited Fischer receiving more than 61% of the vote in 2018 to win a third term in office and the recent steps the mayor has taken to address policing in the community, including a top-to-bottom review of LMPD and banning no-knock warrants by signing Breonna's Law. 

Sexton Smith also argued against a change in leadership during a critical time in the community. 

"It makes no sense to change the coach when you're in the Super Bowl and it's halftime," she said. "... There's no such thing as a smooth transition if you're gonna take a city that has been led by a mayor for 10 years and expect a divided Metro Council group of 26 people to come through that and do that smoothly. I don't see that as a smooth process." 

Council President David James, D-6, said he still doesn't know how he'll vote when the no-confidence resolution is presented to Council on Sept. 17. However, James said an apology from the mayor might go a long way as he formulates his position.

"I don't think that we all expect the mayor to be perfect," James said, "but I do think that we expect, when he makes major mistakes like this, that he admit to it and say that he's sorry." 

Thursday night, Fischer did offer an apology.

"These are challenging times for our city. I know that I’ve made mistakes and I’ve disappointed some. I am deeply sorry for that, and most importantly, I am sorry for the tragic death of Breonna Taylor," Fischer wrote in a statement. "My team and I are working hard every day to address the challenges we face, including the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the economic downturn, the increase in violent crime, and the protests for racial justice. As Mayor, I have responsibility for leading that work, but no one person, and no one team, can do it all alone.

"This resolution further divides us at a time when we must work together," Fischer added, "and I humbly ask for greater partnership with the Council as we move ahead to improve our city."

To watch Wednesday's meeting in full, click here. 

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