May 23 Local News Metro Council to Hire Contractor for Redistricting The Louisville Metro Council is seeking a contract employee who can operate a computer program that draws new legislative districts based on census data. The council will still have a say in where district lines are drawn, but the application will make the necessary calculations to ensure the proper number of residents live in each […] By Gabe Bullard May 23 Local News Metro Council to Hire Contractor for Redistricting Gabe Bullard
Apr 28 Here and Now Here and Now Thursday: Judy Green’s Ethics Hearing, Southern Storms, Veracity in Creative Nonfiction Here’s what we have planned for today at 1pm: A hearing into allegations surrounding Metro Councilwoman Judy Green is underway at this hour at Metro Hall. WFPL’s Political Editor Phillip M. Bailey is there covering the hearing live on our Twitter feed @wfplnews and he’ll speak with us live to bring us up to speed. The […] By WFPL News Apr 28 Here and Now Here and Now Thursday: Judy Green’s Ethics Hearing, Southern Storms, Veracity in Creative Nonfiction WFPL News
Apr 18 Politics Cunningham Concerned What Redistricting Will Mean for Diversity on Metro Council Louisville civil rights leaders are concerned that dwindling numbers in historically African-American neighborhoods will diminish minority representation in Metro Government. There are currently six African-Americans on the council, and Louisville NAACP president Raoul Cunningham says the districts were first drawn to ensure that number. But the 2010 Census shows that while Louisville’s minority population increased, […] By Gabe Bullard Apr 18 Politics Cunningham Concerned What Redistricting Will Mean for Diversity on Metro Council Gabe Bullard
Apr 4 Politics Legislation Takes Aim at Council Spending in Election Years Councilman Jon Ackerson says outgoing council members have, in the past, exhausted their $75,000 neighborhood development funds before leaving office, giving the incoming councilmember no money to spend on neighborhood projects until July, when the next fiscal year begins. By Gabe Bullard Apr 4 Politics Legislation Takes Aim at Council Spending in Election Years Gabe Bullard
Mar 30 Politics Budget Committee to Discuss Change to Business Tax Policy The meeting will focus on whether businesses that lose money in a given year should be allowed to deduct the loss from the next year's profits. For example, if a business loses $1 million one year, then makes $1 million the next year, the business would not pay tax on any income in the profitable year. By Gabe Bullard Mar 30 Politics Budget Committee to Discuss Change to Business Tax Policy Gabe Bullard
Mar 30 Politics Council Committee to Review Audit of District Office Funds The audit was ordered last year and does not look in-depth at how council members spent the $175,000 in neighborhood development and community infrastructure funds allocated to each district every year. The funds have been a contentious topic in recent weeks, as Councilwoman Judy Green faces ethics charges that she misappropriated city allocations. By Gabe Bullard Mar 30 Politics Council Committee to Review Audit of District Office Funds Gabe Bullard
Mar 29 Politics Council Members Differ on Discretionary Fund Limits, Regulation At least one council member has asked the mayor to cut the $175,000 total that members can allocate each year. However, other council members have pushed to give the Office of Management and Budget oversight of each grant rather than cut the funds. Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh supports the latter option. She says her colleagues who hope to cut the funds represent wealthier districts that can function without city grants to pave sidewalks or fund community groups. By Gabe Bullard Mar 29 Politics Council Members Differ on Discretionary Fund Limits, Regulation Gabe Bullard
Mar 15 Politics Peden Says Issues Other Than Tornado Siren Silence Prompted Call for MetroSafe Audit Peden and his vice chair on the council's Public Safety committee, Councilman David James, sent a letter to Mayor Greg Fischer's office requesting the audit Tuesday. Peden says he and James have a number of issues with MetroSafe, many of them stemming from redundancies and inefficiencies in how the agency operates. By Gabe Bullard Mar 15 Politics Peden Says Issues Other Than Tornado Siren Silence Prompted Call for MetroSafe Audit Gabe Bullard
Mar 15 Politics Council Committee to Review Grant Process Wednesday The Government Accountability and Ethics committee will review the allocation process at its meeting Wednesday. Committee chair Tina Ward-Pugh has asked the city's internal auditor and chief financial officer to attend and discuss any potential changes to how the money is accounted for. By Gabe Bullard Mar 15 Politics Council Committee to Review Grant Process Wednesday Gabe Bullard
Mar 15 Politics Mayor’s Office Says MetroSafe Audit Was Planned, Will Be Conducted Even though MetroSafe officials say they've fixed any issues with the civil defense sirens sirens, the heads of the council's Public Safety committee requested the audit. In a statement, councilmen James Peden and David James say there have been numerous concerns with MetroSafe, and an audit is long-overdue. By Gabe Bullard Mar 15 Politics Mayor’s Office Says MetroSafe Audit Was Planned, Will Be Conducted Gabe Bullard
Mar 14 Politics Case Against Green Will Likely Change Council Grant Oversight, Amounts On Thursday, the Louisville Metro Ethics Commission will hold a hearing on a complaint against Metro Councilwoman Judy Green. Green is accused of using a city-funded summer jobs program to benefit members of her family. The commission could also take up other charges related to the misuse of Neighborhood Development Funds. The accusations have led the council and the mayor's office to take a new look at how those funds are monitored. By Gabe Bullard Mar 14 Politics Case Against Green Will Likely Change Council Grant Oversight, Amounts Gabe Bullard
Mar 9 Politics As Green’s Ethics Hearing Nears, Council Members Withhold Judgement The council hasn't encountered a situation like this before. If the Ethics Commission finds evidence of wrongdoing, then the council could act to remove Green. But Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh says it's important to make sure no one rushes to judgment and that every process of the law is conducted unencumbered. That's both to give Green a fair chance and to avoid setting unwelcome precedents. By Gabe Bullard Mar 9 Politics As Green’s Ethics Hearing Nears, Council Members Withhold Judgement Gabe Bullard
Mar 9 Politics King Requests Audit of Discretionary Funds, Asks for Amended Ethics Complaint Against Green Louisville Metro Council President Jim King is calling on the Ethics Commission to add the latest allegations against Councilwoman Judy Green to the existing ethics complaint against her. By Gabe Bullard Mar 9 Politics King Requests Audit of Discretionary Funds, Asks for Amended Ethics Complaint Against Green Gabe Bullard
Mar 6 Politics New Allegations Against Green Revealed Green's colleagues on the council are largely withholding comment until after an Ethics Commission hearing on a summer jobs program that allegedly benefitted Green's family. By Gabe Bullard Mar 6 Politics New Allegations Against Green Revealed Gabe Bullard
Mar 3 Local News Insight Franchise Agreement Under Review in County Attorney’s Office A Metro Council committee approved the contract—called a franchise agreement—last year when it was up for renewal. But, when council members raised questions about whether the document should require Insight to be more open about its finances and operations, the contract was sent back to committee and its sponsors withdrew. By Gabe Bullard Mar 3 Local News Insight Franchise Agreement Under Review in County Attorney’s Office Gabe Bullard