LMPD :: Louisville Metro Police Department
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City employees questioning mayor's priorities

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The budget struggle continues for the city of Louisville with no end in sight.

The mayor is now asking employees in virtually every department to cough up some of their pay to balance the city budget.

Imagine if your boss asked you to tear up your contract and give up your pay raise for the next six months. That's what mayor Abramson is asking the city's union employees.

Teamster's union president Denny Norris walked into metro hall for his meeting with the mayor and was hit with the same request Abramson has made of other union heads: Ask the 800 city workers you represent if they?ll give up their two percent pay raise through next June:

If all city workers cough up their raises, it would save the city about two and a half million dollars. The head of the Louisville firefighters union says he understands Mayor Abramson asking all city workers to do their share to plug the city's $20 million dollar budget hole, but he told Abramson a contract's a contract.

And Willman thinks Abramson should cancel construction projects before asking city workers to take a pay cut.

Just a week before announcing the 20-million dollar shortfall, Mayor Abramson pushed the controversial Center City project through the metro council.

Mayor Abramson is hoping for a quick response from the union chiefs as he tries to piece together a budget cutting package totaling $20 million dollars.

All of the union heads told me they realize there's a budget shortfall, they?re willing to do their part, but think there are other ways to cut as well.