LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has an optimistic view of what’s ahead for the city once the coronavirus vaccine becomes more widely available.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Greg Fischer delivers State of the City address

  • Fischer believes with the vaccine will come revitalization

  • Mayor also addressed the need to address decades of racism

  • Fischer mentioned the budget and isn't anticipating cuts. It will be announced in April

“Taking the vaccine will help keep you safe and it's the pathway forward for your family, our community, and our economy,” Fischer said.

Fischer delivered his State of the City address to the Rotary Club of Louisville virtually on Thursday because of the pandemic.

He says once people get vaccinated, downtown Louisville will see a revitalization.

“I know people are impatient, but we’ve gotta get the health of the community back right now,” Fischer said. “I feel confident that once that happens, people will be coming back. It’s just going to take some time and we’ll have the adequate resources dedicated to making sure downtown is ready.”

Fischer also mentioned the need to address decades of racism in Louisville, especially after months of protests over the death of Breonna Taylor.

The mayor says initiatives like “Build Back Better, Together” will help level the field.

“We need to rethink and reform how government, businesses, education, healthcare and other institutions operate so everyone has a fair shot at the American dream,” Fischer said. “And while that’s more than we can accomplish locally by ourselves, we can make progress. We can create partnerships and opportunities to benefit all.”

The city also needs to reimagine public safety, something Fischer says will be one of the top priorities for incoming Louisville Metro Police Department chief Erika Shields.

“Recruiting more women and people of color to serve as police officers is important,” Fischer said. “And we need to support the good officers we have now by paying them competitive salaries so we don’t train and then lose them to higher-paying law enforcement agencies."

Fischer said the city is in good shape to keep up with its needs, and with president-elect Joe Biden taking over soon, he expects more federal aid to help local governments.

Fischer’s office is starting to craft a budget where he doesn’t expect any new cuts or job losses.

“But the cuts we had to make in metro government two years ago, when we eliminated several hundred positions, combined with the reduced revenue forecast as a result of COVID-19, will have an impact,” Fischer said.

He expects to release his new budget in April.

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