LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Can Louisville avoid cutting things that provide key public safety services?
It's the reality on the table right now and its a debate that it is reminiscent of last year's budget discussions that ultimately resulted in millions being slashed from nearly all city agencies. But the pandemic has replaced last year's pension problems. Now, public safety agencies, like police, fire and EMS, are left wondering again this year if they'll survive budget cuts.
The answer, the city has said, lies in federal COVID-19 relief funding.
"In Louisville Metro, we'd have to trim almost 1,000 jobs to balance our budget. That would included public health workers, EMS, workers, firefighters, police officers," Fischer said. "These are the people who have been on the front line helping us get through the pandemic. So imagine us having to eliminate their jobs right now. Just unconscionable, and it's not safe either."
In his latest town hall Tuesday, Mayor Fischer pushed yet again for federal COVID-19 relief funds, as coronavirus expenses cost the city upwards of $140,000 a day, according to Daniel Frockt, with the Office of Management and Budget for Louisville Metro.
In his April budget proposal, Fischer didn't make major changes from last year's budget.
Metro Fire, EMS, and Metro Corrections testified before the budget committee Wednesday night, reaching the 20th budget hearing so far this year. Each agency discussed last year's relevant numbers and the need for funding this next fiscal year.
Louisville Fire Chief Greg Frederick says the department is asking the city to allow for a new recruit class in order to keep its same number of firefighters.
"That is certainly my hope that we can maintain the system that is today. However, looking at the current situation in the city and state and the country, its kinda hard," Frederick said. "Not knowing what the budget is going to be like."
EMS meanwhile, revealed to the budget committee that its total ambulance run volume from last year to the year prior is down, while its average response time has slightly increased.
But EMS said with the volume of hospital transports it performs, it needs to maintain its ambulance and staff numbers.
"I'd be very hesitant to even discuss," Louisville Emergency Services Director, Jody Meiman, said. "Eliminating an ambulance because we don't know where COVID is going to take us."
Metro Corrections also told the committee its inmate population is down, but as the city keeps opening back up it expects to rise again, which is why it said it also needs the same amount of funding.
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►Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.