Metro Councilman Kevin Kramer

601 W. Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
502.574.1111
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Scott Harrington

Legislative Assistant
Phone: 502-574-3456
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In this issue:

• The Mayor’s FY24 Budget Proposal
• Big Picture Highlights of the Budget Proposal
• Funded Projects in District 11
• Links to view Proposed Budget and upcoming Budget Hearings

The Mayor’s FY24 Budget Proposal

Louisville Metro Government operates on an annual budget that unlike the Federal Government, must be balanced and must be passed prior to the start of the new Fiscal Year on the first day of July. On Thursday, as required by state law, Mayor Greenberg delivered his first budget to the members of the Louisville Metro Council. Mayor Greenberg’s proposal outlines approximately $1.1 billion in spending ($868 million for the Operating Budget and $225 million for the Capital budget). The mayor’s budget proposal invests heavily in public safety, improving infrastructure and improving the delivery of government services. According to the Mayor, his proposal anticipates reasonable economic growth over the next year and doesn’t seek to increase our debt or establish any additional taxes.

 So far, the mayor and his administration have been a breath of fresh air in terms of their communication and overall transparency in the budget process. Unlike previous years, there have been great efforts taken to include members of the Council in the development of the budget. When hearing his presentation, it was clear that many of the mayor’s proposals were ideas discussed by members of the Metro Council in previous years. One of the highlights of the budget is an investment of $26 million in paving, funding the completion of a new LMPD headquarters and health facility, as well as increased investment in parks and libraries.

The Mayor’s presentation marks the beginning of a two-month review by the Metro Council. Over the next week members of the Metro Council will begin to review digital copies of the budget with our anticipated receipt of the detailed budget proposal sometime next week. Starting on May 8, 2023, the Metro Council will begin holding hearings with department directors. Over the course of the months of May and June the Metro Council will hold nearly 40 hours of hearings with a final vote expected at the June 22, 2023, meeting of the Metro Council.

Big Picture Highlights of the Budget Proposal

• $26 million for Paving/Repairing streets
• Funding to continue to narrow the gap of vacancies within our police department
• Funds to add personnel to assist in the process of construction and planning for Metro projects.
• Funding to support victim services, police training, oversight as well as technological advancements within LMPD
• Additional funding is included to support more cameras and technology focused on helping solve crimes such as vandalism and auto thefts.
• Additional funding to support increased mowing of public rights-of-way and parks

Outstanding Concerns – while there is much to be happy about, there are still areas of the budget that will likely need some adjustments. While paving was funded at a much higher level than previously proposed under Mayor Fischer, the amount allocated is still approximately $4-8 million short of the goal established by the Metro Council and Department of Public Works over the past 7 budgets. While a small increase in funding for enhanced cleaning and repair of park restrooms was included, the amount recommended wasn’t nearly enough to make much of a difference in the state of our public facilities.

Funded Projects in District 11

Links to view Proposed Budget and upcoming Budget Hearings

“The annual budget hearings help the Metro Council as well as our citizens understand and question the spending priorities of our Mayor. These hearings give us the opportunity to review new proposals, challenge the results of older programs, as well as listen to the people we serve. I look forward to working with the Mayor’s Office and my council colleagues as we work to pass a budget that best serves the people of Louisville.” said Councilman Kevin Kramer (R-11), Vice Chair of the Committee.”

I thank you for taking the time to ready this summary. If you would like to look at the mayor’s proposed Operating and Capital Budgets, please use this link to a .pdf (Size is 6MB): https://louisvilleky.gov/management-budget/document/fy24proposed-budget.  If you are interested in viewing one of the Metro Council’s Hearing, please use this link: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/calendar-agendas to see the full schedule for the Months of May and June.

Thank you again for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your member of the Louisville Metro Council. Please feel free to reach out to me via phone at 574-1111 or email me at Kevin.Kramer@louisvilleky.gov should you have any questions or ideas related to local government, and please have a happy and safe Derby Week!

Sincerely,

Kevin J. Kramer