LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville voters will elect a new mayor in just six weeks.
Beyond a police department under investigation, crime concerns and struggling businesses, neighborhoods are looking for a leader.
Tuesday evening, the city's future mayor was in the west end for a forum with a focus on the area's future and a controversial tax plan.
The two leading candidates, Democrat Craig Greenberg and Republican Bill Dieruf, joined three independent candidates for the forum: Manetta Lemkheitir, David Ellenberger and Martina Nichols Kunnecke. Two of the independent candidates on the ballot criticized a plan to bring in more development to the area.
The plan, which comes from Frankfort, calls for a tax increment financing (TIF) district in the city's west end neighborhoods and was under scrutiny on the stage Tuesday.
Critics say the plan designed as an economic tool, the largest in the state, doesn't include the oversight needed to make sure the money goes to the places where it's needed the most.
"We let other people come in and divide us and change mind and cause problems. It is time for us to stand on our two feet, and come up with a development plan that will enhance the entire city of Louisville," Lemkheitir said.
One candidate argued that the program is a version of corporate welfare.
Kunnecke said too many people have come in from other areas to share their own vision of the West End.
"There are too many brilliant people in the west end, in the city of Louisville, that are tired of this stuff," Nichols Kunnecke said. "This TIF is not to be fixed. We need to figure out why it's well on its way to begin with."
Dieruf told the crowd the program needs a lot of work, and the focus should turn to creating generational wealth.
"Want to change, want to adjust to where it's your all's TIF, not somebody that's coming out of town, taking your property, taking advantage of you raising rents to where you can't stay in the areas that you love so much," he said.
Greenberg took the state after Dieruf. He was part of the TIF district planning process and agreed that it needs three specific changes: better protection for renters, adjustments to the way property taxes are collected and more neighborhood input, which critics have long pushed for.
"Between the hundreds of millions of dollars that are available to the city under all of these federal programs, as well as the West End Opportunity Partnership, if it's done right, can make powerful, positive impact that's led by residents of west Louisville," Greenberg said.
Each candidate was asked about how they will bring economic prosperity to the neighborhoods beyond the big individual projects coming.
"And this community will have both (an) economic director for the storefronts, boutiques, the restaurants, the barber shops, but also one that will help the small businesses," Dieruf said.
"So we need to work with organizations like Amped, that also need to work with organized labor unions so more people have opportunities to be trained in the careers and trades of tomorrow," said Greenberg.
Related Stories:
- West End Opportunity Partnership says it's met private fundraising deadline
- 'Enormous' West End TIF district would be Kentucky's largest. It's unique -- in size and scrutiny.
- Neighbors protest proposed west Louisville TIF district
- SUNDAY EDITION | A West End investment plan is advancing. Some residents want to stop it.
- What is the West End Opportunity Partnership?
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