Tagged: Louisville Metro Council

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin has filed suit against Mayor Greg Fischer's office.

Shanklin, D-2, is seeking public records regarding an upholstery program for ex-offenders that her office funded, which is part of a recent ethics investigation against her.

In September 2012, Shanklin requested records related to Fischer's "involvement in the investigation," and what authority the mayor's office had to close the program.

The councilwoman alleges the mayor is violating the state's open records law and depriving her of evidence needed for her defense in the ethics case.

"Basically we asked for what authority or rule or policy the mayor relied on to terminate the upholstery program," says attorney Aubrey Williams, who is representing Shanklin.

Williams is requesting the ethics commission delay its ruling until this matter is settled.

Louisville Democrat David James and Republican Ken Fleming don’t always agree as leaders of their respective caucuses, but the two Metro Council members hope city lawmakers tackle a number of issues this year.

Among them is the new spending plan for the city. Mayor Greg Fischer says the local economy is bouncing back from the recession, but Metro Government still faces a $13 million budget shortfall.

Both parties hope the budget process is transparent, and James and Fleming agree that public dollars for city services are running thin and need to be spent wisely.

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Vicki Aubrey Welch, D-13, announced Wednesday she is opening a satellite office in the Fairdale neighborhood to give resident more opportunities to stay in touch with her office.

From Welch's office:

"This office will allow closer contact to constituents and easy accessibility to problem areas in the district," says Welch. "I plan to have this office open on Mondays and Fridays 12 to 5 pm. Come out and see us there!"

The councilwoman will host a grand opening for the new office on January 28 from 2 pm to 5 pm. There will be Metro agencies available for information and light refreshments at this event.

Former Louisville Metro Councilwoman Judy Green, who was ousted from office after allegations that she abused a city jobs program to benefit her family, has died.

Green represented District 1 in western  and southwestern Louisville.  A dentist by trade, Green was first elected to the council in 2006. In 2011, a council court removed Green from office after ruling that she'd mismanaged taxpayer money and committed misconduct.