LOUISVILLE, Ky — We are just two weeks away from the swearing-in of Louisville’s next mayor, Craig Greenberg. The mayor-elect announced at a news conference his administration’s plans on hosting an open house at Metro Hall on Inauguration Day.
“The entire community is invited to come meet my family, myself, my administration, and see our beautiful Metro Hall, right behind me. If you haven’t been in this building before, it’s a gorgeous, amazing building that is the seed of our city government,” Greenberg said.
The public can Metro Hall and meet with the mayor’s team from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2023.
“To me, it’s about accessibility, it’s about transparency, and it’s about getting to work because there is no time to waste,” Greenberg said. “We all know we have a lot of great things going on in the city. We also have very significant challenges and so our team is ready to get to work.”
Greenberg says the reason they will hold it indoors is that temperatures outside will be low. Hosting it at Metro Hall, he says, is also cheaper.
Mayor-elect Greenberg will be sworn in during a private ceremony ahead of the open house.
On Jan. 2, 2023, TARC buses will also be free to ride across the entire city.
But this open house is far from the only thing on Greenberg’s mind. On Friday, Dec. 16, he, along with a handful of other newly elected mayors, met with President Joe Biden and other Cabinet members.
“They were informative for me but they were also productive because we were able to talk about the historic investments that President Biden’s administration has made in cities,” Greenberg said.
Increasing broadband access, affordable housing, and addressing the homeless crisis in Louisville were among the things discussed.
During Monday’s news conference, Greenberg was also asked how he plans to help the homeless as dangerously cold weather is expected in the coming days.
“We are looking at all available options right now to understand what we can do, what the administration has historically done from the city’s perspective but also working with some of the nonprofits organizations,” Greenberg said.
Public safety is also an area he’s been keeping a close eye on. Greenberg says the current administration and the county attorney’s office have also briefed him on the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department.
“I’ve had a brief introductory call with some members of the Department of Justice but neither the current administration nor I have a timeline on when that report will come out, my guess, however, is that it will be after the New Year,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg adds they are preparing for the outcome of that report and says he’s proud of the improvements already made in the department.
“We’re going to continue those, we’re going to expand those, and do everything we can to continue working with LMPD so that it is a trusted, transparent, and well-trained police organization,” Greenberg said.
Once sworn in, Greenberg says his administration will start searching for a new permanent police chief.