LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Council approved the Operating and Capital Budgets for the 2019-2020 fiscal year Tuesday night, with cuts made to nearly every city department. The Operating Budget was approved with a 24-1 vote and the council passed the Capital Budget unanimously.
After several months of meetings and hearing pleas from services hoping to hold onto their resources, Councilman Kevin Kramer said the approved budget “moves the conversation from crisis to correction.” However, with limited funds and higher pension costs, funding had to be pulled from several services in the Operating Budget.
What Will Be Cut?
- LMPD: 40 fewer officers by the end of the year
- Louisville Fire Department: 15 positions cut
- Louisville Free Public Library: Fern Creek Library will close, personal reductions
- Wet-dry recycling program in the Central Business District cut
- Youth Detention Services will be controlled by the state
- Centerstone’s Living Room cut
- 17 school resource officers for JCPS
What Will Be Funded?
- Pools: Algonquin and Sun Valley pools are expected to open next summer
- Louisville Free Public Library: Service in Middletown will resume, provided a building is made available at little to no cost
- Weekly recycling and seasonal yard waste collection in the Urban Services District will continue
- $1.3 million given to External Agencies, which covers Community and Arts Services
- Food insecurity: $200,000 allocated to Dare to Care
- Office for Safe and Health Neighborhoods: Funding reduced by over $1 million; will retain hospital-based violence reduction programs; $110,000 given to Centerstone Crisis and Information Center
- Boost for paving, sidewalk repair and construction services
- Funding for parks, the Zoo, and other projects and services maintained
Mayor Fischer was not pleased with the final draft of the budget, saying that the council changed some things that he did not approve of.
"This budget is not what a thriving city like ours deserves, and it is not the budget that any of us want," he said in a statement.
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