Metro Council meets tonight to consider an ordinance which would raise the insurance premium tax to deal with the very large and rising pension bill we receive from Frankfort. Last week at the Budget Committee, I voted for an amended version of the ordinance, with smaller increases than originally proposed.  I did that very reluctantly, because that will mean deep cuts of $15 Million in City services in the budget we will pass in June, and $20 Million more in cuts in the next three years. But government, like most things, requires compromise, and I and others have been working hard to find a balance of cuts and new revenue which a majority of the Council will accept.  

The proposal approved last week would increase the tax on property, casualty and other insurance premiums from 5% to 9.5% starting in July, to 9.75% the following year and to 10% thereafter. There would be no increase in the tax on vehicle or health insurance premiums.  Because vehicles are excluded from the increase under our proposal, at the maximum level, the Louisville Metro tax would be far below what is already charged in many Kentucky counties and cities, including Oldham County, where all lines of insurance, except health, are currently taxed at 10%. 

The revised ordinance also provides that ALL of the increased taxes would be put into a special fund and dedicated SOLELY to paying our dramatically increased pension bill from Frankfort.  That rising bill, which we cannot affect and have to pay, is the source of most of the problem we are facing. The pension invoice rises from $76 Million in FY 18 to $136 Million in FY 23 and each year after that.  In the event we are able to find new revenue options in the future, the ordinance says the increase in insurance premium taxes SHALL be reconsidered.  

I have already heard from many of you that some or all of the cuts we will need to consider in the budget process in May and June are unacceptable.  On the other hand, I have spent a lot of time with Council members who are unwilling to raise taxes enough to avoid these cuts - and many more that we will have to make if no tax increase is approved.  The risk tonight is that there won’t be support for any tax increase and that we will be looking at $35 Million in cuts this year and $65 Million in cuts over the next three years.  That would be truly devastating for our community and put us in a long-term, downward spiral.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me and participated in this discussion.  

Links to videos of the Budget Committee’s meetings, and questions and answers submitted to the committee, are here.

More about the entire issue is at this Metro website.  

I was disappointed last week when the General Assembly doubled down on an earmark for the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, directing that mineral severance tax dollars that have always come to Louisville Metro “shall be distributed by the [Kentucky] Department of Local Government directly to the Waterfront Botanical Gardens in each fiscal year.”  That’s a total of between $700,000 and $800,000 that we have always counted on to fund local government that we won’t see this year and next year, if the General Assembly has its way.

At a meeting in Frankfort, Senate President Robert Stivers claimed this was similar to Waterfront Park funding.  In fact, Waterfront Park officials tell me no mineral severance tax dollars were ever diverted from local government to Waterfront Park.  The General Assembly did make direct appropriations to the park, which is, after all, a public park formed by Jefferson County, the old City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the board members of which are publicly appointed.   Waterfront Botanical Gardens, on the other hand, is a private, non-profit corporation.

I have supported Waterfront Botanical Gardens in the past but will continue to speak out about the General Assembly’s efforts to divert badly-needed funds from local government.  Louisville Metro is appealing a ruling that the state constitution allows the General Assembly to single out Jefferson County for this treatment.   WDRB has more on the subject in this story, click here.

For the second time in four years, legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frisell will donate his time and talents in support of the Coalition for the Homeless' efforts to end homelessness in Louisville. Frisell, a winner of multiple Grammy Awards who was named Guitarist of the Year a record a 12-times in the Downbeat Jazz Critics Poll, will perform a solo concert at Headliners Music Hall on Monday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50, and all proceeds will benefit the Coalition for the Homeless' "Rx: Housing" program, which is currently focused on eliminating young adult homelessness in our community. Tickets are available online at www.headlinerslouisville.com. Concertgoers can also purchase tickets in person and free of ticketing fees at Carmichael's Bookstores, either at the 2720 Frankfort Avenue location or at the 1295 Bardstown Road location.

The concert by Bill Frisell is presented as an extension of the The Give-A-Jam to End Homelessness, an annual event that brings together musicians, artists, chefs, and others to raise funds to support the Coalition's programs. In its first eight years, the Give-A-Jam has raised more than $250,000 to support the effort.

For more information, please visit www.louhomeless.org or call (502) 636-9550.

The highly anticipated shade structure in Breslin Park is complete! The structure will help keep park users cool on hot summer days. The structure was part of a larger project, Breslin Skate Spot, that was completed last Fall. Other park amenities include a multi-purpose field, picnic tables, playground, sprayground and a walking path. The Park is located at the intersection of Payne Street and Lexington Road.

The shade structure and Skate Spot were paid for largely with private funds raised through the Louisville Parks Foundation. District 9 Capital Infrastructure Funds in the amount of $5,000 completed the work. Plan an upcoming visit to the Park to try out some of the newer features!

Water goes down the drain, but your money should not! According to the EPA, household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. The agency's annual Fix a Leak Week reminds us to check for leaks around our homes. Just because you don't see a leak, doesn't mean you don't have one. Watch Louisville Water Company’s video for tips on how to detect drips so you don't waste water or money, click the photo or here to view the video.

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

Please find a New Location memo and Courier Journal Legal announcement for a Quota Retail Liquor by the Drink, NQ4 Retail Malt Beverage by the Drink, NQ Retail Malt Beverage by the Package, Microbrewery (Gallant Fox Brewing Company), and Sunday Liquor Drink license(s) being applied for, located at 2132 New Main Street.  The ad ran in The Courier Journal Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

• GovDelivery Courier Journal Ad.pdf
• new location or ownership change.pdf

The Coalition for the Homeless is inviting local non-profit organizations and government entities to submit proposals for programs that will help homeless youth and young adults in our community. Examples of eligible programs include creating a transitional to rapid re-housing program, creating landlord incentives for landlords to house homeless youth, creating or expanding Host Home programs, creating a peer support network, and expanding hours and services at drop-in day programs.

The full list of eligible programs can be viewed in the RFP available at www.louhomeless.org. Organizations submitting proposals are strongly encouraged to attend a training session, which will take place on Tuesday, March 26 at 10:00am at YMCA Safe Place Services located at 2400 Crittenden Drive. Proposals must be submitted to Erica Johns at ejohns@louhomeless.org by 5:00pm on Friday, April 26. Approved programs will need to be under contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by September 15, 2019. 

This RFP process comes after HUD granted the Coalition for the Homeless $3.45 million to support local efforts to reduce, and eventually eliminate, youth and young adult homelessness in Louisville. The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Grant is awarded to select communities in order to create comprehensive and innovative plans to address homelessness for unaccompanied youth age 24 and under.                     

The Coalition recognizes that it will take the entire Louisville community to achieve the goal of ending youth homelessness by 2020 and calls on compassionate neighbors to help. Individuals can help by donating to its Rx: Housing initiative to fund deposits and furniture, hiring or mentoring a homeless or disconnected young person, participating in the Host Homes program, and advocating for continued funding for the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

If you’ve been complaining about litter, here’s a chance to do something about it.

Please plan to join me on Saturday, April 13, for the D9 Spring Community Cleanup. In partnership with Brightside, we will be cleaning along Frankfort Avenue just one week before the Easter Parade. Volunteers should plan to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Frankfort and Keats public parking lot for breakfast sandwiches, provided by the Clifton McDonald’s, and hot coffee, provided by Heine Brothers’ Coffee. The cleanup will officially start at 9:00 a.m. and fan out in the neighborhood. The District 9 office will provide bags, gloves, tools and t-shirts on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions, please contact the office at 574-1109.

Please save the date and join us!

My office is partnering with the Louisville Asset Building Coalition (LABC) to provide FREE tax preparation services again in 2019. The service is FREE if you earned $64,000 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or less in 2018 or if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Call the appointment line today to see if you qualify and make your appointment! Appointments are available every Friday through the end of tax season between 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at United Crescent Hill Ministries, 150 S. State Street, in Clifton. Please call the appointment line at 502-305-0005 to make an appointment or visit https://louisvillekyvita.cascheduler.com and please share this with anyone you think may be eligible. You may also call the D9 office at 574-3908. Click here to view brochure.

Tax assistance is also available through AARP at Clifton Christian Church, 131 Vernon Avenue, on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This site will run through April 10. This location helps low and moderate income taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income of $60,000 or less, with special attention to those 60 years of age or older. Please note that sites will shut off their sign-in list when the expected maximum number of clients have been registered for that day. Early arrival is suggested. Also note that new returns cannot be started during the last hour scheduled for the site. Call 502-394-3443 to confirm site hours and find out if the registration list is filled for the day in question.

Do you instead file your own taxes? Through the LABC website there are two options to self-file online. The “Turbo Tax Freedom Edition” is available if you have $33,000 or less in income. The software has a well-designed interview process that guides you through the process of making decisions about your filing status, inputting your income and making decisions about deductions and tax credits for which you may qualify. The other option is “My Free Taxes”, which is available if you make $64,000 or less. This program is developed by H&R Block and uses an interview process. Please visit, https://labcservices.org/index.php/free-tax-help/free-online-tax-filing, for more information.