The Democratic and GOP Louisville Metro Council budget wish lists are in.
More crime surveillance cameras for high-crime neighborhoods. Fire station improvements.
Streetscapes, sidewalks, streetlights and speed humps for many areas.
Money to help run the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage.
Those are among the budget priority requests the Democratic and GOP caucuses delivered to Mayor Jerry Abramson.
He will use them to assemble a $750 million budget that pays for all city services, from police and fire protection to street paving and sidewalk repair. Most of those services come from the government's $491 million general fund.
The mayor is scheduled to deliver his budget to the council May 31.
The Democrats' list includes $7.7 million in spending; the GOP requests total $8.3 million.
"We understand there may be some items that will not receive the full funding we have requested," says the Democrats' letter, written by majority caucus leader Jim King of the 10th District. "But in those cases, we hope you will provide partial funding to demonstrate your support for the initiative."
The Republican letter, written by party leader Robin Engel, 22nd District, says cash from the general fund may not have to pay for all of their ideas.
"The wish list has no indication of the funding source for these projects and we believe some of them can be obtained either through federal/state grants or private funding," the GOP letter says.
Republicans would like Abramson to include money to expand the library system, despite the intention of putting an increase in the earnings tax on ballots this fall that would make that spending unnecessary.
"It's not on the ballot yet," said Kelly Downard, R-16th District. "Republicans have strong support for the library and its expansion. There's a lot of debate left on whether we need a new tax to do it."
The Democrats' letter says they support the tax increase, which would add two-tenths of 1 percent to the existing earnings tax.
"We concur with your efforts to create three new regional libraries," the Democratic caucus letter says. "We understand (library officials are) promoting a referendum on a Library Taxing District, and our caucus can support that concept."
African-American center
Democrats want $500,000 devoted to operational expenses of the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, which is under construction. Center director Clest Lanier said her organization requested that amount for the next fiscal year.
Lanier is leading an effort to raise $5 million to cover construction costs. About $750,000 has been raised so far. The goal is to resume construction, which will take nine to 12 months to complete, by fall. The center's mission will be to educate the community about contributions and accomplishments of Kentucky-born African Americans.
"Right now, other than fundraising, we have no means to generate income," Lanier said. "Metro owns the land, and we have a development agreement that says metro will assist us with operating expenses."
Public safety
Both parties say public safety is a priority, although neither party listed many items.
The Democrats say they want money in the budget to continue purchasing surveillance cameras for high-crime neighborhoods. They also want to see full funding for MetroSafe, a high-tech communication system that will allow all of the city's first responders to talk with one another over the radio. No dollar amount is attached to either item.Fire station improvements are the only requests regarding public safety listed on the GOP document.
"Public safety is our most important objective, but we've been told it's also the mayor's," Downard said. "Since we've been told the money is there for public safety, we will see that when the mayor makes his budget presentation.
"It's very much wait-and-see."
Details
Items requested in the Democrats list of priorities include:
Louisville Orchestra programs, $300,000.
Central High School pool renovation, $1.2 million.
Various public works projects, which include streetscapes, sidewalks, street lights and speed humps, for $2.2 million.
The Republicans' list includes a few big-ticket items and 25 items of $250,000 or less. The large expenditures are:
Library capital improvements, $2 million.
Funding for Home of the Innocents, $1 million.
Norton's Children's Hospital capital campaign, $1 million.
Firehouse improvements, $500,000
Chad Carlton, a spokesman for Abramson's office, said the mayor and his staff continue meeting with department heads to craft the spending plan.
"The mayor is devoting about half of his time this week and next to the budget," Carlton said. "It's an ongoing dialog and discussion as we put that together."