LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Public safety and affordable housing are unsurprisingly two of the biggest priorities in Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's $1.1B proposed budget, presented to Metro Councilmembers on Thursday afternoon.
And more specifically, Greenberg said the city urgently needs to pay first responders more to address staffing gaps and to compete with both the private sector and other areas of Jefferson County itself.
"We at Louisville Metro Government need to invest in our top performers because every one of them has earned it," he said.
The mayor's proposed budget comes as federal COVID relief funds provided by the American Rescue Plan are starting to dwindle, estimated to run out in the next year or so.
Councilmembers will look over the proposal for the next couple months and get public feedback. They're expected to vote on the budget in June.
Here's a breakdown of some of the areas that would receive the most funding from the Mayor's proposed budget:
Public Safety
More than $448 million would go toward public safety within the Metro.
Some initiatives include new license plate readers and MetroWatch Cameras for Louisville Metro Police, new search and rescue gear for Louisville Fire and upgrades to the emergency operations center.
Greenberg's budget also aims to offer significant pay increases for first responders, especially paramedics and EMTs.
"We pay our first year paramedics about $46,000 a year. Fern Creek pays $64,000 a year. Okolona, almost $71,000 a year," he said during his address to Councilmembers.
Greenberg is pushing for a more than 30% salary increase for Metro EMTs and paramedics over the next three years. It comes as LMPD officers are set to get an immediate 7% pay bump, after a new union contract was approved.
"If you're paying that far below the market, it's no wonder why you have a shortage of EMTs and paramedics. So, I'd be surprised if we're not supportive of that," Metro Council President Markus Winkler said after the presentation.
But Greenberg does say city revenue is up 4%, and they have opportunities to be more competitive in the hiring process.
"It's the right thing to do and the smart thing to do -- to pay them what they're worth, both union and nonunion public servants," Greenberg said.
However, he admits some Metro departments may have to look toward eliminating 'unnecessary spending,' noting the possibility of cutting positions that haven't been filled or combining certain roles.
Affordable Housing
Nearly $32 million will go toward Greenberg's goal of creating or preserving 15,000 affordable housing units in Louisville by 2027, including $15 million invested in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Highlighted was the Community Care Campus, which recently received millions of dollars in additional support from Kentucky lawmakers in their recently passed state budget. It allots $100 million over two years specifically to revitalize downtown Louisville.
In his budget proposal, Greenberg wants to set aside $238,000 for the Louisville Metro Housing Authority to help fix what the city has called deplorable conditions within complexes like the Dosker Manor Apartments and Avenue Plaza.
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"Decaying buildings, where they have to deal with mold and bugs and rodents. That is absolutely unacceptable. Your calls are now being answered," Greenberg said, referring to the tenants.
Education
The Mayor is proposing $5 million invested in Thrive by 5, the nonprofit announced this year to create a pathway toward universal pre-K for every 3 and 4-year-old in the city.
“The facts are clear: children who attend high-quality preschool are more likely to graduate from high school, earn more money, live longer and healthier lives and are 70% less likely to be arrested for violent crimes,” the mayor said. “Our children are our greatest investment, and I am determined to support them early so we can all succeed together for generations to come.”
Community projects
The budget proposal calls for $50 million for 'quality of life' improvements, including street paving and sidewalk repairs, and more than $7 million to fix up parks.
Additionally, more than $2 million will go towards raising salaries and funding operations like opening libraries, reopening the Baxter Community Center and creating a new Park Ranger program.
“So often we go about our days taking for granted the key things we rely on. From safe streets to the streetlights at a local park, these services are dependent on the Public Works team members who keep our city moving,” Greenberg said. “We are going to increase pay for these essential team members to better recruit and retain more dedicated public servants. This is how we keep our city moving forward in the right direction.”
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