This post is part of our ongoing, experiment-in-public series using AI to speed up analysis of Metro Council’s budget hearings. We’re stress-testing the tech, comparing it against traditional note-taking, and sharing what we learn so residents can act on solid information. Metro Council will act on this budget at its June 26th meeting.
When Mayor Craig Greenberg released his recommended operating budget in April, it set the tone for spending in the coming fiscal year. After ten weeks of hearings and public testimony, Metro Council will be adopting its own version (Ordinance O-151-25). Before that happens, Metro Council will see the amended version of the Mayor’s budget at a special budget meeting on June 23, complete its process and vote on June 26. Below is a reader-friendly walkthrough of the biggest moves in the drafts so far, why they matter, and what community groups should be watching.
1. The 30-second headline
| General Fund – dollars in millions | Mayor’s proposal | Council final | Change |
| Revenues & other sources | $1,054.9 | $1,054.9 | – |
| Transfer to Capital Fund | – | $ 34.1 | +34.1 |
| Total GF available for operations | $ 956.1 | $ 1,020.3 | + 64.3 |
Metro Council kept the same revenue assumptions but:
- Shifted $34 million into the Capital Fund for bricks-and-mortar work (parks, libraries, fleet, sidewalks).
- Added another $30 million in one-time General Fund spending, largely through surplus designations and opioid-settlement dollars.
Net result: a 6.7 % larger operating budget than the Mayor requested, without raising new taxes.
2. Where did Council put the extra money?
| Council add-on (recurring or one-time) | Amount (M) | Why it matters |
| External Agency Grants (Arts + Creative Industries Fund) | $0.75 | Keeps 40+ nonprofits—arts centers, festivals, neighborhood galleries—whole after pandemic-related revenue losses. |
| Office of Violence Prevention — Community grants | 0.75 | Scales street-outreach and restorative-justice pilots to new corridors. |
| Housing & Community Dev. — Opioid-related housing supports | 1.80 | Adds recovery-oriented rental vouchers and wrap-around services. |
| Parks for All implementation (carry-forward authority) | 1.50 | Guarantees the second year of master-plan work on park equity; advocates get surety funds won’t lapse. |
| Public Works – Roadway, signals & drainage (BIL leverage) | 2.00 | Provides local match to chase new federal infrastructure grants. |
| Capital Fund transfer (multiple depts.) | 34.13 | Fast-tracks fleet electrification, library tech refresh, and park restroom renovations. |
Figures are rounded; table shows highlights, not a full list.
3. What didn’t move?
- Public safety base budgets remain intact. Council left the Louisville Metro Police Department’s General Fund at roughly $246.9 million, identical to the Mayor’s draft . Fire, EMS, and Corrections also saw no headline cuts or increases.
- 5 % COLA for non-union Metro employees stays in place, beginning July 1. Labor coalitions therefore focus attention on their own contract negotiations rather than the budget ordinance.
4. Why advocates should care
| Stakeholder | Key take-away |
| Affordable-housing coalitions | New opioid-settlement dollars flow through Housing & Community Development; RFP guidelines will come this fall—get ready. |
| Arts & culture nonprofits | A dedicated $750k fund gives predictable, multiyear support; groups should prepare grant metrics tied to creative-economy outcomes. |
| Gun-violence-prevention networks | OVP expansion dollars favor programs with hospital-based, credible-messenger, or youth-focused models—evidence matters. |
| Neighborhood associations | Council preserved the Neighborhood Development Fund carry-forward, meaning district-level mini-grants continue another year. |
| Infrastructure contractors & workforce programs | The $34 million capital bump plus $2 million in BIL match funds signal a busy construction season—training pipelines will be in demand. |
5. Reading between the lines
- Capital vs. operating trade-off.
By carving out $34 million for capital, Council chose long-lived assets over short-term services. Expect vigorous oversight to ensure shovel-ready status so that money doesn’t sit idle. - One-time money, continuing expectations.
Several add-ons are funded with surplus or settlement dollars; community partners should not assume amounts recur in FY 26-27 and should diversify revenue. - Leverage is the watch-word.
Many inserts (e.g., public works matching funds) are designed to unlock state or federal grants. Organizations able to show match dollars or partnership value will have a competitive edge.
6. Next steps & how to plug in
- Quarterly reports. Ordinance language requires OMB to publish unaudited updates within 45 days of each quarter close . Bookmark those releases to track spending against promises.
- Grant calendars. Housing, OVP, and Economic Development will roll out grant guidelines between August and November. Sign up for their e-newsletters and prepare data-rich proposals.
- Capital project scoping. Community groups with park, library, or streetscape ideas should engage Metro’s Capital Projects Division early; design work funded now determines next year’s shovel list.
Bottom line
Metro Council largely embraced Mayor Greenberg’s fiscal blueprint but added a community-focused flourish—more cash for neighborhood nonprofits, violence prevention, housing stability, and long-deferred capital fixes. For Louisville residents and advocacy groups, the FY 2025-26 budget is both a funding opportunity and a reminder: follow the dollars, measure the impact, and be ready to defend your wins in next year’s cycle.