LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Prevention Over Punishment Coalition hosted a press conference in downtown on Monday, June 10, to share concerns about Louisville Metro’s Fiscal Year 2025 Proposed Budget.
Mayor Craig Greenberg’s, D-Louisviile, $1.1 billion proposed budget has been dubbed as "putting Louisvillians first." However, those who gathered at Louisville Metro Hall don’t feel that this budget is for the people. They say that it focuses more on punishment.
“All of these cuts are being made to critical community organizations, but for whatever reason we have enough money to increase the Louisville Metro Police budget by 8%,” said Celine Mutuyemariya, the organizing director of Black Leadership Action Coalition of Kentucky who spoke at the press conference.
Those with the coalition say that the proposed budget will strip funding to nonprofits and community-based organizations.
Change Today, Change Tomorrow requested $200,000 in city funding. The nonprofit works with marginalized communities by addressing food insecurity.
“We’re going into our fifth year of existence,” said Taylor Ryan, the nonprofit’s executive director and founder. “We’ve never been written into the budget before and so we’d had the meetings this year, we sent in the request, we did all the steps, and ultimately Change Today, Change Tomorrow was not written into the budget.”
In response to what was said at the press conference, Greenberg said in a statement, “The people of our city elected me on the promise to lead Louisville in a new direction, toward a safer, stronger, and healthier future for everyone. I am committed to looking at our budget with fresh eyes and new perspectives each year and listening to our community about what is needed to achieve these goals for Louisville.”
The coalition will be hosting a community conversation on June 18 to discuss the proposed budget.
Louisville Metro Council will be making the final vote on the proposed budget on June 20.