Public safety, crime dominate public hearing on Louisville's budget

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Spending on public safety programs is in the hundreds of millions of dollars this year in Louisville's budget.

Despite that, the number of homicides continues to outpace last year's total.

That's why at Wednesday night's public hearing considering Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer's proposed city budget, public safety was a top issue of concern.

Less than 10 years ago, Rose Smith said she lost her son to gun violence, which later pushed her into action.

"And I believe real change happens when people who need it, lead it," Smith said.

She now is working within the community of Park Hill and the Office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN) teams to push back.

"And we feel that our voices mean something," she said.

Catherine Mekus praised the OSHN counseling team, telling the Chamber they are working with kids and adults to find a non-violent path.

"They want to work with these people individually in order to change their lives and to avoid becoming a victim or a perpetrator of violence moving forward," Mekus said.

They were just two of the seven speakers who lined up to talk about how OSHN has made a difference in their life.

"And I'm encouraging you to fully fund the OSHN counselors," Mekus said.

"This is an effort to address violent crime in a different way," Councilman Bill Hollander, D-9, said.

Last year, Hollander, the budget committee chair, said Metro Council voted to expand the program and infuse nearly $16 million of American Rescue Plan money over the next four years.

"And certainly, as you heard also tonight, there's an expansion of the police budget as well," Hollander said.

The mayor is recommending about $220 million for the Louisville Metro Police Department in the next fiscal year, which is an increase from last year that is opposed by four of Wednesday's speakers.

"Let's spend this money on more peaceful services, such as food justice, reproductive justice and housing security," Nancy Cavalcante said.

While the concern from Cavalcante focused on LMPD's technology and how surveillance could be used, Hollander said most of the budget increase is going toward funding higher salaries and funding the pension.

"So if you decide that we need police officers in the community, you need more of them, we're short-staffed, you have to fund the police department," he said.

OSHN and LMPD are both in the budget hearing schedule for next week.

Before the public hearing on the budget, three hearings were held concerning the 2023 Fiscal Year.

Those hearings included the External Agency Fund, Public Health and Wellness and Family Health Centers.

The latter department has had funding issues due in part to a cut in the budget a few years ago. But the director for Family Health Centers said even as pandemic concerns start to wind down, staffing remains an issue.

"In fact, in some respect, I think it's harder after they've stayed in one place for two years and with all the trauma, have decided now is the time to find something else to do," Dr. Bart Irwin said.

The last budget hearing is scheduled for June 8. Metro Council's plan is to vote on a final budget by June 23, which goes into effect on July 1.

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