Resident Who Filed Ethics Complaint Against Green to Seek District 1 Seat

Retired police officer Ray Barker, Sr., will seek the seat vacated by Louisville Metro Councilwoman Judy Green, D-1, who resigned last week days before her expulsion trial. Earlier this year, Barker filed the first ethics complaint against the embattled city lawmaker. The case alleged Green used a city-funded summer jobs program to benefit members of her family, but Green and her attorneys argued Barker was only seeking to unseat her for political reasons.The ethics commission hit Green with its harshest penalty and recommended her removal from office, which led to her being impeached by five council members who filed misconduct charges against her. Barker says residents in District 1 are the ones tired of the political games and that they want to get back to important issues, such as crime and unemployment."I’m not a politician. In my world one plus one equals two. I mean one minute (she's) resigning, the next minute (she's) not. I don’t play games," he says. "There’s too many people in my district who are suffering. We can’t afford to play games with people’s lives. And that’s why I’m stepping forth," he says.Barker first applied for the District 1 seat in 2005 when it was vacated by former Councilwoman Denise Bentley. He unsuccessfully ran against Green for the office in 2006 and 2010.The council court presiding over the expulsion proceedings could still go forward with the hearing Monday despite Green's resignation, which doesn't become official until the next council meeting.The court is scheduled to meet at 12:30 p.m to decide by a majority vote on whether to go forward with the hearing.