Mayor Craig Greenberg (D) released his $1.1 billion budget proposal in April, which included money to bolster public safety through new equipment for police, firefighters and emergency medical services. After months of deliberation, the Louisville Metro Council is set to vote on the city’s proposed budget on Thursday, June 20.
The budget is similar to last year’s, with a large portion of the money going towards bolstering public safety, according to the mayor’s official release in April. However, there will be some budget cuts coming to programs in the city, including the Louisville HeARTS program, which is set to lose 80% ($800,000) of its budget.
Within the past week, some council members have raised concerns. Councilman Anthony Piagentini (R), warned about what the future holds for the Metro Council as tax revenue begins to slip with some companies like Humana exiting the city with no other business coming in to take its spot. In 2025, the Louisville Metro Office of Management and Budget estimates that the city will operate at an $80 million shortfall, which could mean the difference in a balanced budget for next year.
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“We are highly dependent on the occupational tax. We are losing people and big employers that are high paying employers like Humana are seeing job reductions,” said Piagentini in a council meeting. “And we aren’t seeing, at least immediately, any major players moving in that are paying huge salaries.”
However, Budget Committee Chair Rick Blackwell (D), pointed out that there are other contracts in the works in Louisville from major players like UPS and Ford, which both hire thousands of Louisvillians.
“…we’re hiring folks there. So you know so some of that will balance out. And then we’re really focused on what are other new revenue streams,” he said during the meeting.
There would have been a $20 million revenue decrease this year, but Mayor Greenberg, in his proposed budget, made other cuts to programs throughout the city to adjust for it. Some of those cuts include:
- $3,011,300 for various economic development TIFs (Tax Increment Financing)
- $325,000 to Greater Louisville Inc.
- $800,000 to the Fund for the Arts for the HeARTS program
- $125,000 to the Louisville Orchestra
- $83,200 to the Soil & Water Conservation
- $305,000 to the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension
- $10,000 to Thrivals
- $100,000 to the Russell: A Place of Promise
- $50,000 to the Center for Neighborhoods
- $50,000 to the Urban Design Studio
- $26,700 to the Legal Aid Society for housing counseling
- $79,500 to the Louisville Urban League for housing counseling
- $50,500 reduction in other department expenses
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The mayor’s office did not expand on what “other department expenses” would be in its proposed budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.
The Metro Council is set to vote on the mayor’s proposed budget for this upcoming fiscal year on Thursday, June 20. The public meeting, which will include the vote, will take place at 6 p.m. at Louisville City Hall (601 W. Jefferson St.).
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This article appears in Jun 5-18, 2024.
