LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a meeting on Thursday, members of Metro Council discussed how they're going to pay for the upcoming federal consent decree.
A consultant hired by the city in 2021 gave the council an estimate of $8 million to $10 million per year under a consent decree.
Metro Councilmember Andrew Owen (D-D9) said it's going to be a burden on taxpayers and that it's "the straight truth of the matter."
"Burden is always on taxpayers," Councilmember Anthony Piagentini (R-D19) said. "The people who, who had their constitutional rights, violated by some actions of a very, very minority, very, very small group of police officers. But those people they suffered, right the taxpayers generally suffer."
However, one council member wanted to take some of that burden off the tax payers.
Councilmember Jecorey Arthur (D-D4) said he wants to see Louisville Metro Police foot the bill.
"The people of Louisville shouldn't have to deal with that," he said. "It would just be morally just to make sure that we do as much as we can to make sure the department itself is paying for some of the mess that it's gotten itself in."
Arthur also suggested using some of the American Rescue Plan funds, including some of those recently allocated to LMPD by Mayor Craig Greenberg for the department's newly announced headquarters and wellness center.
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