EXECUTIVE BUDGET SUMMARY

Dave Biggers for Mayor – FY 2025-2026

Total Budget: $1.2 billion
Identical to Mayor the current Approved Budget

AT A GLANCE

The Question: Same amount of money. How do we spend it?

The Answer: Invest in people, prevention, and community voice.

| Category | Current Budget | Our Budget | Change |
|———-|—————|————|——–|
| Total Budget | $1.2B | $1.2B | $0 |
| Public Safety | $379.7M | $395.2M | +$15.5M |
| Employee Raises | $12M (5%) | $27.4M Year 1 (24% compounded) | +$15.4M |
| Community Programs | $150M | $185M | +$35M |
| Democratic Governance | $0 | $15M | +$15M |
| Infrastructure | $241M | $241M | Same |
| Bureaucracy/Admin | $120M | $95M | -$25M |
| Support Services | $380M | $315M | -$65M |

Bottom Line:
✓ No new taxes
✓ No deficit spending
✓ No layoffs
✓ Better services

THE BIG FOUR CHANGES

1. PUBLIC SAFETY: $395.2M (+$15.5M)

What Changes:

• 46 Mini Police Substations instead of distant precincts
• 18 Community Wellness Centers instead of just jail
• Enhanced Youth Programs instead of detention
• Fire Prevention instead of just emergency response

Why It Works:

• Prevention costs less than reaction
• Community trust reduces crime
• Addressing root causes = lasting change
• Evidence from 50+ cities nationwide

Implementation:

• Year 1: 12 substations, 6 wellness centers
• Year 4: All 63 substations, all 18 wellness centers operational

2. EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION: $27.4M Year 1 (+$15.4M over the current administration)

What Changes:

• 24% compounded raises (7%+5%+5%+5%) instead of 5%
• All departments instead of select positions
• Competitive with surrounding counties instead of falling behind

Why It Works:

• Reduces turnover by 35-50%
• Attracts better talent
• Improves service quality
• Saves money long-term (training costs)

Who Benefits:
| Department | Investment | Impact |
|————|———–|——–|
| Police/Fire/EMS | +$14M | Retain first responders |
| Public Works | +$3M | Better infrastructure maintenance |
| Parks/Library | +$4.7M | Better community services |
| All Others | +$3.3M | Better government operations |

3. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS: $185M (+$35M)

What Changes:

• Consolidated programs instead of scattered initiatives
• Direct services instead of administrative overhead
• Preventive care instead of emergency-only response

Where It Goes:

• Youth Development: $55M
• After-school programs (3-7pm when crime peaks)
• 3,000 summer jobs for teens
• Mentoring and gang intervention

• Wellness Centers: $45M
• 18 centers across Louisville
• Primary care + mental health + addiction treatment
• Neighborhood-based, walk-in access

• Parks & Recreation: $45M
• Enhanced community centers
• Better maintained facilities
• More programming for families

• Library Expansion: $25M
• Extended hours
• More programs
• Technology access

• Violence Prevention: $15M
• Street outreach workers
• Conflict mediation
• Trauma support

4. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: $15M (NEW)

What Changes:

• Participatory Budgeting – You decide priorities
• Community Councils – Your voice matters
• Transparency – Every dollar tracked online

How It Works:

• $577,000 per Metro Council district
• Community meetings and proposals
• Democratic voting on neighborhood priorities
• Metro matches funding and implements

Why It Works:

• 3,000+ cities worldwide use this
• Higher citizen satisfaction (90%+)
• Better projects (community-designed)
• Increased civic engagement (40%)
• Faster implementation (20%)

WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM

Cuts & Reallocations: $150M

Administrative Overhead: -$14M

• Consolidate duplicative offices
• Reduce bureaucratic layers
• Streamline operations

Support Service Contracts: -$65M

• Renegotiate expensive contracts
• Bring some services in-house
• Competitive bidding

Criminal Justice Reform: -$36M

• Bail reform (reduce pre-trial detention)
• Mental health diversion programs
• Community-based alternatives

Position Reassignments: -$10M

• Move officers from desks to streets
• Reallocate existing staff more efficiently
• No layoffs, just smarter deployment

Other Efficiencies: -$25M

• Technology improvements
• Process streamlining
• Waste reduction

Total Freed Up: $150M

DEPARTMENT-BY-DEPARTMENT BREAKDOWN

PUBLIC SAFETY (31.2% of budget)

Louisville Metro Police: $245.9M

• Patrol & Neighborhood Policing: $155M
• 63 mini substations (phased 4-year deployment)
• Community-based officers
• Walking and bike patrols

• Investigations: $42M
• Detectives, forensics, crime analysis
• Same high-quality investigation capacity

• Support & Administration: $25.9M
• Training, recruitment, technology
• Reduced from current by moving officers to streets

• Special Units: $23M
• SWAT, K-9, traffic, narcotics (as needed)

Louisville Fire: $80M

• Fire Suppression: $58M
• Same firefighting capacity
• Enhanced equipment

• Fire Prevention: $18M (NEW)
• Public education
• Home inspections
• Smoke detector programs
• Reduce fires before they start

• Training & Admin: $4M
• Professional development
• Efficient operations

Emergency Medical Services: $52M

• Paramedic Services: $45M
• Same ambulance coverage
• Enhanced training

• Community Health Integration: $7M (NEW)
• Mental health crisis teams
• Social worker partnerships
• Non-emergency medical transport

Other Public Safety: $17.3M

• Corrections, Animal Services, etc.
• Maintained or slightly enhanced

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT (16.6% of budget)

Youth Development Department: $55M (NEW)

Consolidates scattered programs into one effective department

• After-School Programs: $15M
• Summer Jobs: $12M (3,000 teen positions)
• Mentoring Programs: $8M
• Gang Intervention: $10M
• Life Skills & Job Training: $10M

Wellness Centers: $45M (NEW)

18 neighborhood-based health centers

• Medical Services: $25M (doctors, nurses, primary care)
• Mental Health: $12M (therapists, counselors)
• Addiction Treatment: $5M (recovery support)
• Facilities & Operations: $3M

Parks & Recreation: $70M

• Personnel: $34M (includes competitive pay)
• Programming: $20M (expanded offerings)
• Maintenance: $12M (better facilities)
• Capital Improvements: $4M

Library System: $42M

• Personnel: $24M (includes competitive pay)
• Materials & Technology: $10M
• Extended Hours: $5M
• Facilities: $3M

Other Community Services: $30M

• Violence Prevention Office
• Zoo, Brightside, etc.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE (1.2% of budget)

Participatory Budgeting: $15M

• $577K per Metro Council district (26 districts)
• Community decides neighborhood priorities
• Metro implements winning projects

INFRASTRUCTURE (19% of budget)

Public Works & Assets: $241M

• Road Maintenance: $85M
• Facilities Management: $65M
• Fleet Services: $35M
• Water/Sewer/Storm: $35M
• Capital Projects: $21M

Same as the current administration – infrastructure needs don’t change

GENERAL GOVERNMENT (13.3% of budget)

Administration & Support: $95M (-$25M from the current administration)

• Office of Management & Budget: $12M
• Human Resources: $15M
• Technology Services: $28M
• Other Support: $40M

Consolidated and streamlined for efficiency

STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS (3.5% of budget)

Required by Law: $44.8M

• Elected officials (County Attorney, Clerk, etc.)
• Pension obligations
• Debt service (partial)
• Other statutory requirements

Cannot be changed without state law changes

CAPITAL & DEBT (19% of budget)

Long-Term Investments: $241M

• Capital projects
• Debt service payments
• Infrastructure bonds

Maintains existing commitments

FISCAL GUARDRAILS

We Will NOT:
❌ Increase taxes
❌ Deficit spend
❌ Raid reserves
❌ Defer infrastructure
❌ Lay off employees
❌ Break union contracts

We WILL:
✓ Balance the budget
✓ Maintain reserves
✓ Invest in prevention
✓ Value employees
✓ Engage community
✓ Deliver results

PHASED IMPLEMENTATION

Year 1 (FY 2026)

• Employee raises: Immediate
• Mini substations: 12 operational
• Wellness centers: 6 open
• Youth summer jobs: 3,000 teens
• Participatory budgeting: First cycle

Year 2 (FY 2027)

• Mini substations: 24 total (12 more)
• Wellness centers: 12 total (6 more)
• After-school programs: Expanded citywide
• Participatory budgeting: Second cycle

Year 3 (FY 2028)

• Mini substations: 36 total (12 more)
• Wellness centers: 18 total (6 more – COMPLETE)
• Fire prevention: Fully operational
• Participatory budgeting: Third cycle

Year 4 (FY 2029)

• Mini substations: 63 total (10 more – COMPLETE)
• All programs: Full implementation
• Outcomes measured and reported
• Adjust and improve based on data

ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY

Public Dashboard:

• Every budget dollar tracked online
• Real-time spending reports
• Program outcome metrics
• Community feedback integrated

Quarterly Reports:

• Performance against goals
• Budget vs. actual spending
• Service quality metrics
• Community satisfaction surveys

Annual Audit:

• Independent financial audit
• Program effectiveness evaluation
• Public presentation to Metro Council
• Recommendations for improvement

Community Access:

• Open budget workshops
• Department head office hours
• Online Q&A forums
• Regular town halls

OUR APPROACH VS. STATUS QUO

What’s The Same:

✓ Total budget: $1.2 billion
✓ Infrastructure investment
✓ Core city services
✓ Union contracts honored
✓ Reserves maintained

What We’ll Change:

✓ Policing: Neighborhood substations instead of distant precincts
✓ Healthcare: Wellness centers instead of jail-only approach
✓ Employee Pay: 24% compounded raises (7%+5%+5%+5%) instead of 5%
✓ Youth: $55M prevention instead of scattered programs
✓ Democracy: $15M community voice instead of top-down
✓ Administration: -$25M waste cut instead of bloated bureaucracy

WHY THIS BUDGET WORKS

1. Evidence-Based

Every major initiative proven in other cities:

• Mini substations: 50+ cities, 20-40% crime reduction
• Wellness centers: 30+ cities, $2-3 saved per $1 spent
• Youth employment: 100+ cities, 35% crime reduction
• Participatory budgeting: 3,000+ cities worldwide

2. Fiscally Responsible

• No new taxes
• No deficit spending
• Phased implementation
• Sustainable long-term

3. Community-Centered

• Neighborhood-based services
• Democratic decision-making
• Transparent operations
• Responsive government

4. People-Focused

• Competitive employee pay
• Prevention over punishment
• Health over incarceration
• Investment in next generation

THE BOTTOM LINE

Same Money. Better Priorities. Brighter Future.

The current budget maintains the status quo.
Our budget transforms Louisville.

The current budget reacts to problems.
Our budget prevents them.

The current budget serves bureaucracy.
Our budget serves people.

It’s not about spending more. It’s about spending smarter.

GET THE DETAILS

Full Budget Document: davebiggers.com/budget
Department Breakdowns: davebiggers.com/departments
Implementation Timeline: davebiggers.com/timeline
Evidence & Research: davebiggers.com/evidence

Questions? Email budget@davebiggers.com
Feedback? Submit at davebiggers.com/feedback

DAVE BIGGERS FOR MAYOR
A Budget for People, Not Politics

Version 1.0 | October 12, 2025 | Complete budget documentation available at davebiggers.com