EXECUTIVE BUDGET SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE BUDGET SUMMARY
Dave Biggers for Mayor – FY2026-27
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).
AT A GLANCE
| CATEGORY | ADOPTED FY2026-27 | OUR PLAN | % OF BUDGET (PLAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Safety | $528,287,900 | $492,545,450 | 43.7% |
| Community Investment | $295,474,500 | $323,746,150 | 28.8% |
| Infrastructure & Services | $151,112,400 | $139,112,400 | 12.4% |
| Democratic Governance | $52,028,000 | $73,588,000 | 6.5% |
| Support Services (includes the $19.2M employee raise pool, held in OMB until a pay plan splits it by department) | $99,028,700 | $96,939,500 | 8.6% |
| TOTAL | $1,125,931,500 | $1,125,931,500 | 100% |
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.
DEPARTMENT-BY-DEPARTMENT (adopted FY2026-27)
Public Safety: $528,287,900
- Louisville Metro Police Department: $268,393,800 (Exh. A p.7)
- Louisville Fire: $85,520,300 (Exh. A p.3)
- Emergency Services (EMS/911/EMA): $63,975,300 (Exh. A p.3)
- Department of Corrections: $67,956,700 (Exh. A p.3)
- Codes & Regulations: $19,024,300 (Exh. A p.5)
- Office of Violence Prevention: $10,763,300 (Exh. A p.6)
- Group Violence Intervention (GVI): $543,500 (Exh. A p.6)
- Youth Transitional Services: $3,529,100 (Exh. A p.6)
- Criminal Justice Commission: $3,529,200 (Exh. A p.12)
- Jefferson County Coroner: $2,359,500 (Exh. A p.14)
- Alcoholic Beverage Control: $2,692,900 (Exh. A p.3)
Community Investment: $295,474,500
- Office of Housing & Community Development: $91,321,300 (Exh. A p.5)
- Public Health & Wellness: $46,653,400 (Exh. A p.10)
- Parks & Recreation: $40,796,700 (Exh. A p.10)
- Office of Social Services: $36,280,600 (Exh. A p.9)
- Louisville Free Public Library: $30,090,700 (Exh. A p.9)
- Louisville Zoo: $21,849,900 (Exh. A p.9)
- Metro Animal Services: $6,573,200 (Exh. A p.4)
- Air Pollution Control District: $4,979,100 (Exh. A p.8)
- KentuckianaWorks (related agency): $4,325,000 (Exh. A p.13)
- Office of Strategic Initiatives: $3,112,800 (Exh. A p.8)
- Office of Sustainability: $3,017,200 (Exh. A p.4)
- Waterfront Development Corporation (related agency): $2,384,000 (Exh. A p.13)
- Human Relations Commission: $1,589,400 (Exh. A p.7)
- Office of Equity: $875,900 (Exh. A p.7)
- Brightside: $862,800 (Exh. A p.8)
- Kentucky Science Center (related agency): $762,500 (Exh. A p.13)
Infrastructure & Services: $151,112,400
- Public Works & Assets: $68,833,700 (Exh. A p.11)
- Facilities and Fleet Management: $61,477,200 (Exh. A p.13)
- Economic Development: $17,009,500 (Exh. A p.4)
- Office of Planning: $3,792,000 (Exh. A p.5)
Democratic Governance: $52,028,000
- Jefferson County Attorney: $17,431,400 (Exh. A p.13)
- Jefferson County Clerk: $11,104,300 (Exh. A p.13)
- Louisville Metro Council (admin + Neighborhood Development Fund): $9,270,600 (Exh. A p.2)
- Mayor’s Office: $6,866,200 (Exh. A p.2)
- Commonwealth Attorney: $2,409,500 (Exh. A p.13)
- Other Statutory Obligations: $1,537,300 (Exh. A p.14)
- Office of Internal Audit: $1,005,100 (Exh. A p.13)
- Office of Inspector General: $992,600 (Exh. A p.6)
- Metro TV: $741,500 (Exh. A p.13)
- Metro Archives: $669,500 (Exh. A p.7)
Support Services: $99,028,700
- Office of Management & Budget: $57,025,100 (Exh. A p.11)
- Metro Technology Services: $34,678,400 (Exh. A p.12)
- Human Resources: $7,325,200 (Exh. A p.12)
The departments that change. The other 22 departments keep exactly their adopted budget, and nothing inside them is re-pointed.
| Department | Adopted | Our plan | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Metro Police Department | $268,393,800 | $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). |
| Office of Inspector General | $992,600 | $8,992,600 | The $8,000,000 police-oversight programme from Public Safety & Community Policing moves here, independent of the department it oversees. |
| Public Health & Wellness | $46,653,400 | $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 | $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). |
| Public Works & Assets | $68,833,700 | $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. |
| Metro Technology Services | $34,678,400 | $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. |
| Department of Corrections | $67,956,700 | $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. |
| Office of Social Services | $36,280,600 | $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. |
| Economic Development | $17,009,500 | $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 Housing & Community Development | $91,321,300 | $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. |
| KentuckianaWorks | $4,325,000 | $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 Violence Prevention | $10,763,300 | $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. |
| Louisville Fire | $85,520,300 | $85,520,300 | Total flat. Half of Fire’s unscheduled overtime, $1,371,750, is re-pointed to fire prevention: home inspections, smoke alarms and youth fire-safety education, from centres in fire stations. The rest of the $2.2M programme is added only as Fire’s own overtime-and-staffing review shows money that can move without taking an engine out of service. |
| Louisville Free Public Library | $30,090,700 | $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 Metro Council | $9,270,600 | $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. |
| Office of Management & Budget | $57,025,100 | $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. |
| Air Pollution Control District | $4,979,100 | $4,979,100 | Total flat. Half of its General Fund, $707,200, is re-pointed to Rubbertown monitoring and enforcement (Environment). |
| Office of Equity | $875,900 | $875,900 | Total flat. Half of its General Fund, $437,950, is re-pointed to Disability Rights & Accessibility. |
| Office of Sustainability | $3,017,200 | $3,017,200 | Total flat. Half of its General Fund, $303,600, is re-pointed to renewable energy (Environment). |
| Facilities and Fleet Management | $61,477,200 | $49,477,200 | The platform’s $12,000,000 efficiency saving, from purchasing and operations, not from repairs. |
| Youth Transitional Services | $3,529,100 | $2,529,100 | $1,000,000 from juvenile detention moves to youth programmes through the library (Education & Youth). |
| Office of Strategic Initiatives | $3,112,800 | $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. |
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
Money that moves between departments (every dollar from a named source; which source pays for which priority is shown for clarity, because the money is pooled):
| From | Amount | Named source | Goes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Corrections | $26,742,450 | A smaller jail: bail reform and diversion (the jail shrinks by $36,500,000; $9,757,550 of that stays in Corrections for pretrial services and diversion) | Wellness centres $20,512,450 · participatory budget $6,230,000 |
| Office of Management & Budget | $14,000,000 | Administration waste cut | Employee raise pool $12,500,000 · participatory budget $1,500,000 |
| Facilities & Fleet Management | $12,000,000 | Efficiency: procurement, technology, operations | Employee raise pool $6,700,000 · participatory budget $5,300,000 |
| Louisville Metro Police Department | $8,000,000 | Police oversight moved out so it is independent (paid from LMPD’s own patrol and overtime savings) | Office of Inspector General $8,000,000 |
| Metro Technology Services | $7,289,200 | Bureaucratic duplication eliminated | Neighborhood Development $6,759,200 · participatory budget $530,000 |
| Office of Strategic Initiatives | $1,997,100 | Thrive by Five’s Metro money (its state-required share stays) | School-based childcare through the library $1,997,100 |
| Louisville Free Public Library | $1,688,700 | Room freed by Thrive by Five’s money | Disability rights in Social Services $1,688,700 |
| Youth Transitional Services | $1,000,000 | Juvenile detention | Youth programmes through the library $1,000,000 |
| TOTAL | $72,717,450 |
A further $205.4M is re-pointed inside the departments that deliver each policy and programme. Police are the largest example: LMPD moves 378 officers from patrol into 63 substations, with $64.26M of their existing pay (about $170,000 each before overtime), cuts half of unscheduled overtime and leaves $20.7M of patrol posts unfilled as officers leave, which frees $96.01M; $88.01M of it pays for substations and co-responders inside LMPD and $8M funds independent oversight.
EMPLOYEE RAISES (YEAR 1): $27,400,000
$12,500,000 department reallocations (overlaps the −$14M administration-waste line
above) + $8,200,000 revenue enhancements (new money, not a reallocation — the one
place “same money” does not literally hold) + $6,700,000 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.
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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.
⚖️ 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
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
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
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
Youth Development
Current Mayor
Standard recreation programs
Approach
- Traditional rec centers
- Limited after-school programming
- Seasonal sports leagues
- Minimal job training for 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
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
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
Housing & Affordability
Current Mayor
Market-driven housing
Approach
- Minimal affordable housing requirements
- Limited tenant protections
- Rising rents in many neighborhoods
- Displacement from development
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
Government Transparency
Current Mayor
Standard reporting
Approach
- Annual budget reports
- Limited real-time data
- Reactive public engagement
- Closed-door development deals
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
The Choice is Clear
Louisville deserves transformative change, not more of the same. Join us in building a city that works for everyone.
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