Louisville Mayor's Statement On FY21 Budget

Louisville KY

26 June, 2020

4:28 PM

Description

Press release from the City of Louisville: June 25, 2020 "My thanks to the Metro Council for their partnership and diligence on the FY21 budget, especially Budget Committee Chairs Bill Hollander and Kevin Kramer. "When I proposed this continuation budget in April, I cited serious budget uncertainties related to COVID-19. In more recent weeks, while our funding levels for this budget are still not firmly set, there has been greater certainty on another front: We need more investment in human capital. "We are experiencing one of the most challenging times in our history, with the COVID-19 pandemic, protests against structural racism, an economic recession and the need for police reform. Yet these challenges also present an opportunity to enact substantive transformation on many fronts, include building a more just, equitable and compassionate community. And that starts with addressing the root causes for disparity, which is why I am pleased we were able to work with Council to increase funding for affordable housing, and add funding to address vacant and abandoned properties and other neighborhood-level investments. "I am also pleased this budget advances some of our steps toward police reform, including funding for the Civilian Review Board and an office of Inspector General. And I look forward to working with the Council on how to best utilize the $1 million youth appropriation. "And I remain hopeful that Congress will soon approve additional funding for state and local governments still struggling with the impact of COVID-19 on our budgets. Additional funding would allow us to make more investments to move us closer to the goal we share for the future – a compassionate city where every person from every neighborhood has the opportunity to reach their full potential." — Mayor Greg Fischer This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author's own.