 I appreciate the work that went into this proposed $1.1 billion budget for Louisville. There are investments here that I genuinely support funding for Sun Valley Pool, Mental-health facilities, support for Dare to Care, and resources for Roots 101 all matter.
But we have to be honest about the full picture.
This budget leans heavily on capital investments while continuing to weaken the very services that keep people safe and stable like services that prevent homelessness, hunger, and violence before they start. At a time when over 100,000 people in our city are living in poverty and nearly 1 in 5 children are experiencing poverty, we cannot afford to shrink our social safety net.
We are a merged city and county government, yet too many residents especially in the Urban Services District and unincorporated areas, are not seeing equitable return on their tax dollars. We have over 300 households waiting for basic services like trash cans. Deferred maintenance continues to grow across our parks, community centers, roads, and infrastructure. These are daily quality-of-life issues that cannot be ignored.
There are also clear gaps in this proposal:
- Our libraries asked for nearly $2 million for books and materials—and received just $500,000. If we are serious about education and access, we must fund it fully.
- Even with the capital investments, there is no mention of a new or expanded Shively Library.
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There is no meaningful support for public transit, including Transit Authority of River City (TARC). We cannot talk about opportunity, workforce access, or economic growth without investing in how people actually get to work, school, and services.
- While the budget was cut for several departments, the LMPD budget was increased by more than ten million dollars.
- We continue to prioritize tourism investments while lacking basic infrastructure like public restrooms and reliable transit. That is not sustainable growth.
- Organizations like ECHO (Exploited Children Help Organization), which serve some of our most vulnerable young people, were not granted enough money to continue all their operations. That is a missed opportunity to invest in prevention and care.
- Residents across Louisville have consistently asked for more grocery stores, fresh food access, and support for local food systems. Beyond Dare to Care, where is the investment in community gardens, food groups, and neighborhood-based solutions?
At the same time, we see continued growth in the Mayor’s office budget, even with fewer employees. That raises real questions about priorities and accountability. With 26 council districts, we should be fully utilizing our authority to put forward a council-driven budget that reflects the needs we hear directly from residents every day.
Let’s also put this into perspective:
Jefferson County’s population is projected to be around 796,278 people. When you divide a $1.1 billion budget across our residents, every dollar should be delivering real, measurable impact in people’s lives not just large-scale projects that don’t reach everyday families.
This budget reflects investment but not balance and my problem is most Louisvillians won't see or feel the impacts of this billion dollar budget.
When we talk about “taking care of each other,” that must include the families struggling to stay housed, the seniors choosing between food and medicine, and the neighborhoods that have gone years without basic infrastructure improvements.
With a $1.1 billion budget, we should not be making trade-offs that leave people behind.
We have the resources. The question is whether we are aligning them with the real needs of our community.
Stay tuned as we navigate the Louisville Metro budget process together.
Public Input: The public is encouraged to participate in the budget process by submitting public comment on the recommended budget. The online comment form is located on the Metro Council website, and a direct link is here:
Metro Council FY26-27 https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council/fy26-27-proposed-budget-information?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdeliveryBudget
Comment Form
The online form will close on Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m. The community is also invited to attend the Community Budget Hearing scheduled for Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m. Persons may sign up to speak during the hearing in-person between 5pm and 6pm on the night of the hearing. Those persons who signed up to speak will be given up to three minutes to share their opinions and ideas on the budget proposal. This in-person hearing will be conducted in Metro Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 601 W. Jefferson Street.
Councilwoman Parrish-Wright has been busy! She has attended events across our community to show her support for all the amazing initiatives that are happening here. From the CLOUT Nehemiah Action Conference to Shakespeare in William Harrison Park, the Councilwoman continues to listen and practice co-governance.
 First, she was a featured speaker at the Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together (CLOUT) Nehemiah Action Conference. She committed to appropriating funding in the FY27 budget to affordable and permanent supportive housing. She was joined in her panel by the Director of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to talk about the importance of housing to public health and public safety. Councilwoman Parrish-Wright was one of the first people in Louisville to help establish the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust fund about ten years ago!
 She also attended the annual Exploited Children's Help Organization (ECHO) annual Pancakes and Pinwheels brunch in support of their mission of educating young people on body and internet safety, as well as services for survivors of child abuse.
While at the Kentucky Science Center, Councilwoman Parrish-Wright met and connected with a beautiful family, who are lifelong Louisville residents.
 Councilwoman Parrish-Wright continues to attend neighborhood association meetings, and was happy to visit Cloverleaf last week. The President of the Cloverleaf Neighborhood Association brought Alli Woosley from the Office for Aging and Disabled Citizens to discuss how seniors can be protected from online scams.
 For the third year in a row, Councilwoman Parrish-Wright allocated funding to bring Shakespeare in the Park to one of our District 3 parks, William Harrison. She was so excited to meet the talented cast, and see how much the young people in the park appreciated and enjoyed this wonderful live performance.
 Ben and Councilwoman Parrish-Wright joined Blueprint502 for their annual Hats, Hydrangeas, and Hope Garden Party in support of their organization. Blueprint502 helps connect our young people to resources and opportunities so they can be set up for success in their adulthood.
 Councilwoman Parrish-Wright was also so excited to attend the Alpha Lambda Center for Excellence Foundation Educators of Color Celebration and speak with Dr. Yearwood and other JCPS educators about the importance of our public schools to our kids and families.
 The District 3 team had three amazing guests for our podcast (airing on WLLV at 3pm today)! We were joined by Dr. Jackson, Dr. Gardner, and the (future) Dr. Waldon. Be sure to tune in today! It is also on Councilwoman Parrish-Wright's official Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/CouncilwomanParrishWright/
 Finally, Ben helped distribute air conditioning units to the 200 families that were eligible for free units based on the Metro Council program that is now in its third year.
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