Louisville Metro Council passes mayor's $1.1 billion city budget

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Council approved the city's operating and capital budgets for 2024-25 Thursday evening.

The operating budget passed in a 22-1 vote, and the capital budget for Metro Government passed unanimously.

Mayor Craig Greenberg pitched his $1.1 billion city budget to Metro Council in April. With an emphasis on investing in the future of Louisvillians, the budget addresses public safety, early childhood education, affordable housing, homelessness, economic development, government services and quality of life.

Since then, the council's Budget Committee has held a series of hearings, both budge and public hearings, to hear from city services and departments, as well as residents. Greenberg had also asked city departments to cut excess off their budgets where possible.

Metro Council said the budget, which has a heavy emphasis on public safety, approved Thursday "addresses the city's needs without adding additional debt above the mayor's recommended budget."

In a statement following Thursday's vote, Greenberg said the budget "makes key investments to reduce crime, build more affordable housing, help end family and youth homelessness, and spur new economic development and job creation."

"It builds on our historic investments from the Kentucky General Assembly with a $5 million down payment on Thrive by Five, the new nonprofit we created to make free universal early education for every 3- and 4-year-old a reality. And it provides millions more for investments in our downtown and parks to also leverage the state's recent investments," the statement continued.

Thrive by 5 is a local nonprofit working to implement a 5-year plan creating a pathway to universal pre-K in Louisville.

The nonprofit will operate independently from Metro Government and Jefferson County Public Schools, using public and philanthropic funding to recruit and retain early learning teachers and staff, improve facilities and programs, and provide financial assistance for preschool.

Councilwoman Shameka Parrish-Wright, D-3, took exception Thursday to the council's use of public money toward private organizations, specifically the Thrive by Five program.

"The Thrive by Five, as I am a mother of six, and grandmother of four, and all of my kids went through early Head Start, it's a good idea. But the framework shows a hiring of a couple people and a website, that does not take $5 million to achieve in this budget," Parrish-Wright said.

Metro Council said the approved budget will set aside $375,000 to cover costs associated with the U.S. Department of Justice consent decree for Louisville Metro Police. Negotiations for the federally-mandated reform began in February and are still ongoing with the DOJ, city and LMPD.

The process to put the department under a mandated contract for reform began more than a year ago, when the DOJ came to the city and released a scathing report into the police department with its findings from a years long investigation prompted by the March 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor.

When pitching his budget, Greenberg said the funding would be for consent decree monitoring. The oversight agreement sets tangible requirements for change, metrics to measure improvement and timelines to achieve them. It's all approved by a federal judge, legally binding and then overseen by a independent monitor who must regularly report progress or any problems to the public.

The budget also adds to funding for officer recruitment and puts $4 million toward the purchase of a new police helicopter.

Funding allocated for public safety will also be used to purchase new license plate readers in an effort to help LMPD find stolen vehicles. Opioid-related initiatives will receive $5 million; the Louisville Fire Department will get $800,000 for "general repairs," and the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections will get $2 million, also for general repairs. The budget did not, however, include funding to make needed upgrades and repairs to older fire houses across the city.

The budget also provides funding for infrastructure, allocating $50 million for sidewalk repairs, paving and pavement markings, structure repair, guardrail replacement, traffic control, safety enhancements, alley paving, and new vehicles and equipment for Metro Public Works.

There is also funding included for Metro Parks and Recreation. Funding for differed maintenance was increased to $2.9 million, and $1.9 million will go toward the purchase of new vehicles and equipment, staffing at the Playtorium Community Center, the city's pilot Park Ranger program, and reopening the Baxter Community Center. Funding will also be added to reopen and staff the Algonquin and Camp Taylor pools next year.

The budget will provide $25 million for affordable housing initiatives. That includes $15 million for the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund and $4.9 million for low-income permanent housing. The Volunteers of America Unity House, which "provides individualized care and goal setting for families facing homelessness," will get $834,300. Other housing programs, however, took a cut.

"Home repair programs applications will not open this July because of funding cuts, again we have the power of the purse and that is the main purpose of Metro Council," said Parrish-Wright. "We do not have to accept this budget, we can propose our own budget that addresses the people's needs, but there is no political will to do so."

Metro Council is also asking for a review of the use of taxpayer money for addressing homelessness in the community to "understand how these funds are being utilized and assess the overall effectiveness among various entities currently serving our homeless populations."

The Parkland and Portland libraries, which are expected to open next year, will also get funding, as well as $10 million toward Greenberg's project to renovate and improve the more than 50-year-old Belvedere on the riverfront, between Fourth and Sixth streets in downtown Louisville. The mayor was asking the state for $20 million for the redesign.

The budget will also restore $113,200 to the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District and $182,500 to the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension District. Funding for Louisville Community Ministries was also increased to $1.4 million; Dare to Care funding increased to $400,000, and funding for Russell: A Place of Promise increased to $100,000.

Another $1.5 million will be used for a new economic development district. The Center for the Arts HeARTS program will receive $400,000; House of Ruth will receive $851,300; and Metro United Ways Youth Success Network will get $150,000.

The budgets will be available to view after Aug. 1, according to a council spokesperson, but the recommended version can be read by clicking here.

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