Detailed Line-Item Budget: FY2026-27 ($1.13 Billion)

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DAVE BIGGERS FOR MAYOR

Detailed Budget: FY2026-27

Same Money. Different Priorities. Better Louisville.

TOTAL BUDGET: $1,125,931,500

Metro’s FY2026-27 adopted operating budget (O-175-26 V.2 / ORD 110-2026, adopted
2026-06-25). Six categories below; each category total
re-adds to its constituent departments exactly.

CATEGORYADOPTED FY2026-27OUR PLAN% OF BUDGET (PLAN)
Public Safety$528,287,900$492,545,45043.7%
Community Investment$295,474,500$323,746,15028.8%
Infrastructure & Services$151,112,400$139,112,40012.4%
Democratic Governance$52,028,000$73,588,0006.5%
Support Services (includes the $19.2M employee raise pool, held in OMB until a pay plan splits it by department)$99,028,700$96,939,5008.6%
TOTAL$1,125,931,500$1,125,931,500100%

Public Safety’s departments carry less because the jail shrinks and police oversight moves to the Inspector General (in Democratic Governance); the 18 wellness centres, a public-safety priority, are paid through Public Health (in Community Investment). Democratic Governance grows because the $15M participatory budget runs through Metro Council’s 26 districts and police oversight moves to the Inspector General.

HOW THE PLAN IS PAID FOR

Same total, every dollar placed. The plan spends exactly Metro’s adopted FY2026-27 operating budget, $1,125,931,500. A published reallocation ledger shows every department’s adopted budget beside its budget under this plan, and the two columns add to the same total, to the dollar.

  • Dave’s five priorities come first, funded in full: raises for Metro’s non-union employees, Public Safety & Community Policing, the $15M participatory budget, Education & Youth Development, and Neighborhood Development. Together they ask $214.71M a year of Metro money. $206.51M of it is money Metro already spends; the other $8.2M of the raises comes from revenue enhancements (license compliance, delinquency collection, parking and non-resident fees).
  • Most of it is paid inside the departments that do the work, by changing what they already spend money on. Money moves between departments only from sources the platform names or Dave has chosen: the smaller jail, the administration and duplication savings, the efficiency savings, $1M from juvenile detention, and Thrive by Five’s Metro money.
  • Also funded in full: Senior Services, Disability Rights & Accessibility, Arts, Culture & Tourism, and Technology & Innovation.
  • Partly funded, and growing: Criminal Justice Reform, Environmental Justice & Climate Action, and Economic Development & Jobs start with what their departments can carry, and grow with outside money and with jail savings once those savings are proven.
  • Phased: Public Health & Wellness and Food Systems & Urban Agriculture launch on their own non-Metro funding. Metro adds its share as the jail savings prove out.
  • The named gap: about $20M of Health & Human Services programmes, mainly crisis stabilization centres, clinician-and-peer mobile crisis units and addiction treatment, has no Metro funding yet. The crisis teams that pair a social worker with an officer are funded, inside LMPD.
  • Police stay flat. LMPD’s plan is $260.4M because the $8M police-oversight programme moves to the independent Office of Inspector General, so oversight sits outside the department it oversees. That is not a police cut. The flat figure is before the raises officers win in their own contract.
  • The back-office claim is about $21M, not the $39M first stated: that is what can actually be placed, department by department.
  • Outside the operating budget: Affordable Housing asks no Metro operating money (abatement reform, fees and federal funds), and Infrastructure’s $35M is a shift inside the separate capital budget.
  • The biggest bet is the jail. The $36.5M only appears if bail reform and diversion shrink the jail population, so it is the first number the administration will report on.

PUBLIC SAFETY: $528,287,900

Louisville Metro Police Department: $268,393,800

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.7, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $260,393,800. Police flat, with oversight moved out: the $8,000,000 police-oversight programme moves to the independent Office of Inspector General, so it is not a police cut. Inside LMPD, $88,010,000 is re-pointed to 63 substations and co-responders: 378 officers move from patrol to substations with $64,260,000 of their existing pay (about $170,000 each before overtime), half of unscheduled overtime goes, and $20.7M of patrol posts are left unfilled as officers leave. The figure is before the raises officers win in their own contract. 52 detectives LMPD already employs are reassigned, two to each council district, as community detectives ($8.8M of LMPD’s existing pay).

Louisville Fire: $85,520,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.3, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $85,520,300 (total flat). Half of Fire’s unscheduled overtime, $1,371,750, is re-pointed to fire prevention (home inspections, smoke alarms, youth fire-safety education, in fire stations); the rest of the $2.2M programme grows only as Fire’s own overtime-and-staffing review proves savings.

Emergency Services (EMS/911/EMA): $63,975,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.3, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Department of Corrections: $67,956,700

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.3, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $41,214,250. The jail shrinks by $36,500,000 through bail reform and diversion. $9,757,550 of that stays here for bail reform, pretrial services and diversion (Criminal Justice Reform); the rest pays for the wellness centres and the participatory budget. Jail posts and overtime shrink as the jail population falls.

Codes & Regulations: $19,024,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.5, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Office of Violence Prevention: $10,763,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.6, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $10,763,300 (total flat). Inside, $2,000,000 of contracts with poor results is re-pointed to the proven violence-prevention programmes Public Safety expands.

Group Violence Intervention (GVI): $543,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.6, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Youth Transitional Services: $3,529,100

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.6, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $2,529,100. $1,000,000 from juvenile detention moves to youth programmes through the library (Education & Youth).

Criminal Justice Commission: $3,529,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.12, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Jefferson County Coroner: $2,359,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.14, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Alcoholic Beverage Control: $2,692,900

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.3, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT: $295,474,500

Youth programs are Policy 06, $32.5M a year: $23.5M of Metro General Fund money, paid inside Parks & Recreation ($12M) and the Library ($11.5M), plus $6M in federal grants, $2M reallocated from programs that aren’t working and $1M from employer partners.

Office of Housing & Community Development: $91,321,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.5, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $98,080,500. Neighborhood Development ($13M) is paid here: $6,240,800 re-pointed from half of the department’s General Fund and $6,759,200 from Metro Technology Services’ duplication saving. Home repair, down-payment help, the new Housing Finance Agency and grant match ($4.9M the ordinance names) are kept.

Public Health & Wellness: $46,653,400

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.10, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $67,165,850. Pays for the 18 wellness centres ($37M of Metro money): half of the department’s General Fund, $16,487,550, is folded into the centres and $20,512,450 arrives from the jail savings. $8M of Medicaid comes on top, outside this budget. Its legally required work (inspections, disease control, vital records) must fit in the half it keeps.

Parks & Recreation: $40,796,700

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.10, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $40,796,700 (total flat). $14,000,000 is re-pointed: $12,000,000 to after-school programmes (Education & Youth) and $2,000,000 to public art in parks (Arts).

Office of Social Services: $36,280,600

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.9, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $37,969,300. $8,873,350 is re-pointed: $7,000,000 to Senior Services and $1,873,350 to Disability Rights; $1,688,700 more arrives from the library, so Disability Rights is funded in full. The $3.05M the ordinance names (grant match, its outside-agency fund, six named charities) is kept.

Louisville Free Public Library: $30,090,700

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.9, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $31,399,100. Carries $11.5M of Education & Youth: its own $2M youth row plus youth jobs, after-school, school-based childcare and school support, paid by $8,502,900 of its own money, $1,000,000 from juvenile detention and $1,997,100 of Thrive by Five’s Metro money. It sends $1,688,700 to Social Services for Disability Rights. Books and materials are untouched.

Louisville Zoo: $21,849,900

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.9, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation. 74% of this line is non-General-Fund (admissions/memberships/concessions).

Metro Animal Services: $6,573,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.4, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Air Pollution Control District: $4,979,100

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.8, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $4,979,100 (total flat). Half of its General Fund, $707,200, is re-pointed to Rubbertown monitoring and enforcement (Environment).

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $4,325,000 (total flat). Half of Metro’s contract, $2,162,500, is re-pointed to the workforce pieces of Economic Development & Jobs.

Office of Strategic Initiatives: $3,112,800

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.8, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $1,115,700. Thrive by Five’s Metro money, $1,997,100, moves to school-based childcare through the library. Its state-required share (about $590,000) and the office’s own work stay.

Office of Sustainability: $3,017,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.4, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $3,017,200 (total flat). Half of its General Fund, $303,600, is re-pointed to renewable energy (Environment).

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Human Relations Commission: $1,589,400

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.7, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Office of Equity: $875,900

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.7, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $875,900 (total flat). Half of its General Fund, $437,950, is re-pointed to Disability Rights & Accessibility.

Brightside: $862,800

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.8, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES: $151,112,400

Public Works & Assets: $68,833,700

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.11, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $68,833,700 (total flat). $12,447,369 is re-pointed to Environment’s trees, climate-resilient infrastructure and bike and transit routes, and $5,000,000 to school-zone safety at 30 schools (crosswalks, flashing signs, traffic calming). To keep maintenance first, it should come out of new construction, not repairs.

Facilities and Fleet Management: $61,477,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $49,477,200. The platform’s $12,000,000 efficiency saving, from purchasing and operations, not from repairs.

Economic Development: $17,009,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.4, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $17,009,500 (total flat). Half of its General Fund, $8,062,750, is re-pointed to Economic Development & Jobs; the $5.375M the ordinance names (One Louisville, Roots 101, the arts fund, four cultural grants, the ambassadors) is kept.

Office of Planning: $3,792,000

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.5, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: $52,028,000

Jefferson County Attorney: $17,431,400

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Jefferson County Clerk: $11,104,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Louisville Metro Council (admin + Neighborhood Development Fund): $9,270,600

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.2, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $22,830,600. The $15,000,000 participatory budget runs through the 26 council districts; the council’s own $1,440,000 Neighborhood Development Fund is folded into it.

Mayor’s Office: $6,866,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.2, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Commonwealth Attorney: $2,409,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Other Statutory Obligations: $1,537,300

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.14, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Office of Internal Audit: $1,005,100

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Office of Inspector General: $992,600

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.6, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $8,992,600. The $8,000,000 police-oversight programme from Public Safety & Community Policing moves here, independent of the department it oversees.

Metro TV: $741,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.13, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

Metro Archives: $669,500

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.7, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

SUPPORT SERVICES: $99,028,700

Office of Management & Budget: $57,025,100

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.11, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $62,225,100. $14,000,000 of administration savings leaves (to the employee raise pool and the participatory budget). It holds the $19,200,000 employee raise pool until a pay plan splits it by department, and re-points $800,000 inside to the public budget dashboard and reports.

Metro Technology Services: $34,678,400

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.12, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
Our plan: $27,389,200. $7,289,200 of duplication savings leaves (to Neighborhood Development and the participatory budget), and $10,000,000 is re-pointed inside to Technology & Innovation.

Human Resources: $7,325,200

Adopted FY2026-27 (Exh. A p.12, O-175-26 V.2, ORD 110-2026, adopted 2026-06-25).
flat — the adopted appropriation.

EMPLOYEE RAISES (YEAR 1): $27,400,000

$0 as a standalone appropriation. The Metro Employee Bill of Rights
funding plan: $12,500,000 from department reallocations (counted inside the five
spending categories above — overlaps the Support Services −$14M “administration waste”
line) + $8,200,000 from revenue enhancements (occupational-license compliance,
delinquency collection, parking, non-resident fees — this piece is new money collected
better, not a reallocation; it is the one place “same money” does not literally hold)
+ $6,700,000 from efficiency savings. In the reallocation ledger, the $12.5M is the platform’s administration saving and the $6.7M its efficiency saving; together they form a $19.2M raise pool, held in the Office of Management & Budget until a pay plan sets each department’s share. The $8.2M is new revenue and sits outside the ledger.
Years 2-4: $109,200,000 total (Year 2 5%, Year 3 5%, Year 4 5%, compounding on the new
base each year) per the Metro Employee Bill of Rights.

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How we calculate: Benefits based on average family savings from wellness center access ($800/year), youth program value (after-school + summer jobs), and your specific mini substation timeline. All benefits come from the same $1.13B budget - zero tax increase.

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Your Personal Impact

How we calculate: Benefits based on average family savings from wellness center access ($800/year), youth program value (after-school + summer jobs), and your specific mini substation timeline. All benefits come from the same $1.13B budget - zero tax increase.

⚖️ Compare This Policy

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⚖️ Policy Comparison: Real Change vs. Status Quo

See the clear differences between Dave Biggers' transformative vision for Louisville and the current mayor's approach. The choice is yours.

🚔

Public Safety & Policing

Current Mayor

Traditional policing model

Approach

  • Centralized police response
  • Reactive approach to crime
  • Limited community engagement
  • Focus on patrol units
Timeline Ongoing
Budget Status quo funding
Impact Response times: 15-20 minutes average

Dave Biggers

Community-based mini substations

Approach

  • 63 mini substations across Louisville (4-year deployment)
  • Officers living and working in communities they serve
  • Preventative community policing model
  • Year 1: 12 substations in highest-need areas
Timeline Year 1-4 phased rollout
Budget Revenue-neutral through property tax restructuring
Impact Response times: 3-5 minutes (neighborhood-based)
🏥

Mental Health & Wellness

Current Mayor

Limited wellness infrastructure

Approach

  • Reliance on existing healthcare facilities
  • No dedicated community wellness centers
  • Fragmented mental health services
  • Emergency-room dependent model
Timeline No expansion planned
Budget Minimal dedicated funding
Impact Long wait times, limited access in underserved areas

Dave Biggers

Regional wellness centers network

Approach

  • 18 wellness centers across 6 regions
  • Mental health counseling, addiction support
  • Youth programs, family services
  • 3 centers per region for accessibility
Timeline Year 1-4 phased rollout
Budget Integrated with public safety restructuring
Impact Accessible care within every neighborhood, preventative focus
🎓

Youth Development

Current Mayor

Standard recreation programs

Approach

  • Traditional rec centers
  • Limited after-school programming
  • Seasonal sports leagues
  • Minimal job training for youth
Timeline Status quo
Budget Existing recreation budget
Impact Serves fraction of Louisville youth

Dave Biggers

Comprehensive youth investment

Approach

  • After-school programs at all substations
  • Job training and mentorship
  • Arts, sports, and STEM programs
  • Youth advisory councils
  • Summer employment pathways
Timeline Immediate implementation with substation rollout
Budget $1,200 value per child annually
Impact Accessible programs in every neighborhood
💼

Economic Development

Current Mayor

Corporate incentives focus

Approach

  • Tax breaks for large corporations
  • Downtown-centric development
  • Limited support for small business
  • Gentrification without displacement protection
Timeline Ongoing
Budget Millions in corporate subsidies
Impact Benefits concentrated in select areas

Dave Biggers

Community wealth building

Approach

  • Small business incubators at substations
  • Local hiring requirements for city contracts
  • Neighborhood-based economic zones
  • Affordable housing protection
  • Living wage standards
Timeline Immediate policy changes, 4-year infrastructure build
Budget Redirected from corporate subsidies
Impact Jobs and wealth stay in neighborhoods
🏠

Housing & Affordability

Current Mayor

Market-driven housing

Approach

  • Minimal affordable housing requirements
  • Limited tenant protections
  • Rising rents in many neighborhoods
  • Displacement from development
Timeline No comprehensive plan
Budget Minimal housing trust fund
Impact Affordability crisis worsening

Dave Biggers

Housing as a human right

Approach

  • Expanded affordable housing trust fund
  • Strong tenant protections
  • Community land trusts
  • Rent stabilization measures
  • Anti-displacement policies for existing residents
Timeline Immediate policy changes
Budget Increased trust fund through property tax reform
Impact Protects residents, prevents displacement
📊

Government Transparency

Current Mayor

Standard reporting

Approach

  • Annual budget reports
  • Limited real-time data
  • Reactive public engagement
  • Closed-door development deals
Timeline Status quo
Budget Minimal transparency infrastructure
Impact Limited public accountability

Dave Biggers

Radical transparency

Approach

  • Real-time budget dashboard
  • Public data portal for all city metrics
  • Community advisory boards with veto power
  • Open contracting process
  • Regular town halls in all neighborhoods
Timeline Immediate implementation
Budget Low-cost digital infrastructure
Impact Citizens empowered with information and decision-making power

The Choice is Clear

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