'A moral failure': Community leaders share concerns over 2025 proposed Louisville Metro budget
A loose coalition of organizations engaged in direct services, community initiatives, and advocacy met on Monday to share concerns with the 2025 proposed Louisville Metro budget.
The Prevention Over Punishment Working Group raised concerns over the amount of money being funded to Louisville Metro Police Department.
In this year's proposed budget, around $242 million would be allocated to LMPD, an increase over last year's $222 million.
"It is a moral failure of local government to put more money into policing than into the people who are being overpoliced," said Attica Scott, a former state representative and now director of special projects at Forward Justice Action Network.
Organizers say they would rather see money invested in programs supporting housing, food, and more.
"When we look at public health research, it shows us that investing in the social determinants of health are what led to positive health outcomes," said Celine Mutuyemariya, the organizing director with the Black Leadership Action Coalition of Kentucky. "And yet our budget leans towards investing systems of punishment."
The mayor’s proposed budget puts forward nearly $32 million to create or preserve 15,000 units of affordable housing units across the city by 2027.
He is also investing $15 million in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. However, advocates say they'd like that to change to $25 million.
Groups, such as Change Today, Change Tomorrow, joined on Monday.
Executive director Taylor Ryan says her nonprofit, which provides free groceries to families, requested $200,000 but was denied.
"A measly small drop in the $1.1 billion budget," she said. "And to find out, the mayor wants to use $200,000 to allocate to fix a statue, that ain't right."
The statue she is referring to is the King Louie statue, which is listed under Economic Development on page 193 of the budget.
Mayor Craig Greenberg issued a statement in response to the news conference held Monday.
"The people of our city elected me on the promise to lead Louisville in a new direction, toward a safer, stronger, and healthier future for everyone," Greenberg said. "I took a new approach to crafting the city’s budget so we can make investments to achieve meaningful progress on our priorities of public safety, homelessness, education, new, quality homes, and more. I am committed to looking at our budget with fresh eyes and new perspectives each year and listening to our community about what is needed to achieve these goals for Louisville."
Metro Council is set to vote on the budget Thursday, June 20, at 6 p.m.
