LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- In an overwhelming vote back in September, Metro Council sent Mayor Greg Fischer a loud and clear message with a vote of no confidence. Council members used it as way to express their frustrations with his handling of summer protests, transparency related to several investigations and ability to communicate with council members.
The vote was no empty gesture, because it tasked Fischer with a list of improvements, some of which council wanted to see by the end of December
Council asked Fischer to improve transparency, equity and the cleanliness of the city in a variety of ways:
- By 12/31/20, develop a plan/task force to address and reduce the rising rates of homicides across Jefferson County.
- Complete the top to bottom review of the Louisville Metro Police Department (“LMPD”) by 12/31/20.
- Immediately develop a plan to improve communications and collaboration with the Council.
- Immediately conduct a review of all leadership appointments, including feedback from the Council, and remove and replace those not adequately serving the Louisville Metro Government in a manner that meets expectations by 12/31/2020.
- Conduct and publish a study of Metro Government’s employee demographic make-up.
- By 12/31/20, develop a plan to significantly enhance Code Enforcement activity by prioritizing high impact areas and proactively searching for and addressing code violations versus being dependent upon resident complaints.
- With the approval of the Council, hire a Louisville Metro Ombudsman and Community Relations Director to address online complaints, work with social and civic organizations, and collaborate with protestors to establish solutions for addressing perceived or actual injustices.
"He's been checking off some of those," said David James, D-6, the president of Louisville Metro Council.
James, who voted with the majority for "no confidence" in the mayor, said he has seen progress and improvement from Fischer, especially with communication.
"I would say he's doing better," James said. "He has started scheduling quartering phone calls with council members."
David James.
But James said he's still waiting on other improvements: the completed review of LMPD, the review of the mayor's leadership appointments and additional efforts to increase transparency.
"There's a good amount of trust he has to regain with the citizens of the community, and there's a good amount of trust that he has to gain with his employees, and there's a good amount of trust he has to gain with council members," James said.
Six fellow Democrats, who all voted "no confidence" in Fischer, mostly agreed with James on Thursday.
"I hope the message has been received on (the importance) of sustained communication," said Councilman Markus Winkler, D-17.
"I have seen some improvements," added Councilman Mark Fox, D-13, who also said he hopes the mayor will focus on instilling public confidence in LMPD.
Councilwoman Donna Purvis, D-5, said she also believes communication from the mayor has improved, but she still has hesitations.
"These promises should have been made and delivered before now," she said, adding that she hopes the mayor will make more strives toward equity for all neighborhoods.
Councilwoman Jessica Green, D-1, agreed that mayor has done a better job of keeping council in the loop.
"He's trying," she said, adding that some of the efforts may be "too little, too late."
Councilwoman Paula McCraney, D-7, shared similar sentiment and said she'd like to see "less talk, more action" from Fischer going forward.
Another member of council, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said they were also pleased by some improvement from Fischer.
"I've seen more (effort) in the last three months than I've ever seen," the council member said.
However, they said the mayor needs to follow through in erasing a divide between himself and council that's been "hurtful" to the city.
"The whole community just feels let down and upset," they said.
Robin Engel, a council Republican who represents District 22, said Fischer's leadership is still failing Louisville, and he said communication from the mayor's office has been lacking.
"Communication has been pathetic and receives an F (grade)," said Engel, who clarified his criticism isn't driven by partisan politics.
Alluding to the requirements sought by council in the "no confidence" vote, Fischer said Thursday he has made progress.
"Our collective work to improve the city we love continues, and I look forward to what 2021 will bring for our joint efforts, both here at home and in our state capital," he wrote in the jovial, friendly letter to council.
As the mayor explained in the letter, his spokesperson, Jean Porter, also summed up his accomplishments toward council's goals so far in a statement to WDRB News:
"The Mayor’s office has worked with Council to act on many needed reforms to advance racial justice and economic equity – from the passages of Breonna’s law, the Civilian Review Board and the creation of the new Office of Inspector General, to the Council’s assistance in the search for a new police chief and support for a new short-term contract with Fraternal Order of Police. In addition, in response to the public health crisis that racism has caused, the plan to Advance Racial Equity for Black Louisville has been released and includes steps and proposals on many of our shared priorities. This includes but is not limited to the top-to-bottom review of Louisville Metro Police Department policies and procedures, which should be completed by early January; our Group Violence Intervention strategy to reduce violent crime and homicides; and policies to promote investment without displacement. We’re also working on recruitment and retention strategies to ensure all Metro departments and overall leadership reflect the community’s 22% of Black Louisvillians. There is work to be done, but we are committed to working with Council and other partners to improve the city we all love."
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