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June 2025

⚜️ Louisville is building momentum! Whether you are a long-time resident or a visitor, there’s a lot to check out in this month’s Mayor’s Message. Read about what's moving our city forward in a new direction through investments and achievements by Mayor Craig Greenberg and his administration.

Mayor Greenberg’s budget passes - will make Louisville safer, stronger, and healthier

Louisville Metro Council passed a final version of Mayor Greenberg's 2026 budget on Thursday, June 27.

⚜️ With overwhelming bipartisan support, Louisville Metro Council passed Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s amended city budget including the following investments: 

A Safer Louisville

• Support for ongoing reform efforts at the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), funding for larger recruiting classes at LMPD, the Louisville Fire Department (LFD), and Louisville Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• New and updated equipment like drones, license plate readers, and cameras to help deter and solve crime
• Louisville’s first completely new fire station in 15 years
• Purchasing land for a new first responder training facility
• Ongoing support for the nationally recognized Summit Wellness Center and a new headquarters for LMPD in Downtown Louisville

A Stronger Louisville

• Support for the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund and related programs
• Funding for the Community Care Campus and more facilities for families and individuals experiencing homelessness
• Support for Louisville Economic Development Alliance and three development funds to spur economic growth in South, East, and West Louisville
• Revitalization of Downtown infrastructure to support Downtown’s attractions, hotels, and restaurants
• Funding for KentuckianaWorks and Goodwill to provide free career and educational resources
• Support for Thrive By Five and other Early Childhood Learning Initiatives

A Healthier Louisville

• Funding for Parks and Recreation to open and improve first-class facilities
• Funding for the Louisville Free Public Library and opening new branches
• AI tools for local government to improve performance and efficiency for various services.
• Snow team investments to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Increased Department of Transportation funding
• A five percent raise for non-union employees
• A match for Metro employees’ contributions to tax-free early childhood flexible savings accounts

Read the full press release and access the FY26 budget. 

GE Appliances to create 800 jobs in Louisville

Mayor Greenberg joined Gov. Andy Beshear and GE for the annoucement to move manufacturing to Louisville on Thursday, June 26.

⚜️ GE Appliances, one of Louisville's biggest employers and America's #1 appliance company, is creating 800 new, good-paying jobs in our community.

• At Mayor Greenberg’s urging, the city will provide $4 million in cash incentives
• This move is a $490 million investment at the Louisville global headquarters
• The new facility to manufacture laundry products will be the company’s largest and most advanced manufacturing plant.

Learn more in GE Appliance's press release.

Citizens and organizations weigh in on public safety

Dr. Cherie Dawson Edwards, Professor of Criminal Justice at UofL, led a community discussion on the qualities and qualifications the public wants to see in an independent monitor on Tuesday, June 17.

⚜️ Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the creation of the Community Safety Commission, a forum for citizens and community organizations to support public safety initiatives:

• Safe Louisville Comprehensive Violence Reduction Plan - monitoring reports from Louisville Metro Government (LMG), assessing plan performance, reviewing implementation progress, and offering guidance to achieve plan goals, and
• The Community Commitment: Louisville’s Consent Decree - receiving and responding to regular reports provided by Louisville Metro and the Independent Monitor and ensuring full and timely compliance with all provisions of the Community Commitment.

Learn more about the Community Safety Commission.

Vacant downtown building will be converted into 106 new apartments

Mariah Gratz, CEO of Weyland Ventures, joined Mayor Greenberg to announce the conversion of the Jefferson County Fiscal Court Building during a press conference on Tuesday, June 10.

⚜️ The Jefferson County Fiscal Court Building is the first vacant office building to receive funding under the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program. 

• Weyland Ventures will convert the 10-story art deco-style building into 106 residential apartments, with a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, along with a live-work space and ADA-accessible units.
• Of the total unit mix, 33% are planned to be affordable housing units dedicated to households earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI).
• Shared amenity spaces will be available on the ground floor and basement level, providing tenant storage, a fitness room, and other community-focused features.

Read the full press release to learn more about the Downtown Louisville Building Conversion Program.

Louisville first to join in state's early childhood learning initiative through Thrive By 5

Mayor Greenberg joined Gov. Beshear to announce the "Pre-K for All" initiative during a press conference on Wednesday, June 4.

⚜️ Alongside Mayor Greenberg, Gov. Beshear announced a push to make early childhood learning opportunities available to every child in the state. Louisville is the first Kentucky city to launch its own initiative through Mayor Greenberg’s creation of the Thrive by 5 program.

• Thrive by 5 Louisville is a nonprofit organization created to support quality early learning and child care for three- and four-year old children in Louisville, Kentucky.
• It is supported by Louisville Metro Government, community and business leaders, child care advocates, directors, and teachers.

Learn more about Thrive By 5.

City's first director of Department of Transportation

Bill Bell has stepped into the role of Louisville's first director of the Department of Transportation.

⚜️ Mayor Craig Greenberg announced Bill Bell will be the first director of the Louisville Metro Department of Transportation (DOT).

• The announcement is historic, as Bell will lead the new Louisville Metro DOT, which Mayor Greenberg first announced in 2024 to help speed up city infrastructure projects.
• Bell most recently served as the executive director of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety (KOHS).

Learn more about Director Bell's experience and priorities for the DOT.

Juneteenth in Louisville

Mayor Greenberg and First Lady Rachel Greenberg joined the Divine 9 and Dare to Care for Agape Day on Friday, June 20.

⚜️ To kick off Juneteenth, Mayor Greenberg presented the Juneteenth Jubilee Commission annual awards to three Louisville leaders, Diane Porter, Johnetta Roberts, and Dawne Gee, and one community organization, the Tiger Foundation. 

• The Juneteenth Jubilee Commission, under the Mayor’s Office of Equity, facilitates the creation of an annual series of educational, cultural, and community-wide events for the purpose of increasing community awareness of the significance of Juneteenth.
• This year's events included the signature Amplify Songs of Justice performance with the Kentucky Opera and Agape Day, a community event focused on service and love involving local Divine 9 fraternities and sororities partnering with Dare to Care to distribute food to those in need.

Read more about the Commission, awardees, and Juneteenth events in Louisville. 

LGBTQ+ Pride in Louisville

Parade attendees joined Mayor Greenberg in Louisville's Pride Parade.

⚜️ Mayor Greenberg officially proclaimed June 2024 as Pride Month in Louisville, leading the Louisville Pride Parade downtown. Mayor later joined the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation at the 25th annual Kentuckiana Pride Festival to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in Louisville.

View more photos of the parade.