Louisville Metro Budget Committee Holds FY2026-27 Hearings for Corrections, Public Health, and Library on June 1, 2026

The Louisville Metro Budget Committee, chaired by Kevin Kramer (R-11), met at 3:03 p.m. on June 1, 2026, in Council Chambers and virtually for the ninth day of FY 2026-2027 budget hearings. A quorum of nine voting members was present; Ben Reno-Weber (D-8) was excused. Non-committee members Tammy Hawkins, JP Lyninger, Paula McCraney, and Dan Seum, Jr. also participated. The committee heard presentations from Metro Corrections, Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness, and the Louisville Free Public Library. No votes were taken, and Chair Kramer adjourned the hearing at 5:52 p.m.

Discussion Items

Metro Corrections

• Chief Jerry Collins said the FY27 Corrections proposal was about $69 million, including $64.7 million in general fund carry-forward, $843,000 in agency funds, and $3.7 million in federal and state funds. The $3.7 million reflects two new grants: a state opioid fund grant that was not approved and a pre-jail intervention contract with Metro matching funds.
• The committee reviewed the ending of the corrections medical contract with YesCare after bankruptcy; Chief Collins said costs are going up slightly and an emergency-procured new vendor took over at midnight.
• A $123,000 decrease in agency receipts was explained by OMB as a ledger correction moving about $214,000 to miscellaneous revenue.
• Overtime is budgeted up $275,000. Corrections has 128 sworn and 33 civilian vacancies; attrition has fallen from about 16% to 11%. A recruit class graduates in early July and another starts in August. Sworn starting pay is just over $25 per hour; civilian pay starts just over $18 per hour.
• Eliminations and cuts: the Day Reporting Center was eliminated because it averaged about 20 participants against capacity of 80, and the department said the HIP/home incarceration program was not eliminated. Misdemeanor intensive probation services for the state were cut from $500,000 to zero because the cost did not directly benefit the jail. Inmate welfare supplies increased to $437,000 due to price increases. Physician and food services were reduced by nearly $1 million through more in-house care and a vendor change.
• The jail population was about 1,548 against a capacity of 1,375. Chief Collins described using dormitory overflow, safety risks, and classification challenges. Councilman Piagentini said a larger jail needs future discussion unless the city shrinks or crime stops, but it is not in this budget.
• Councilman Lyninger noted jail population was lower in 2023-2024 and said diversion and faster court processing should be used to reduce pretrial detention; Chief Collins said a crime commission subcommittee is examining COVID-era practices. Councilmembers also discussed reimbursement from the Commonwealth, which is based on jail population.
• Councilwoman Parrish-Wright praised the release program that gave about 280 incarcerated people backpacks with clothing, hygiene supplies, and resources. Councilwoman Chappell questioned whether programming cuts are consistent with investing in inmate quality of life.

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness

• Connie Mendel presented a proposed $46 million operating budget: $32.5 million in general funds, of which about $14.3 million (roughly 44%) pays for corrections medical services and another 4% goes to Family Health Centers, leaving about $17 million for Public Health and Wellness.
• Revenue changes include a $1.5 million increase in miscellaneous revenue from opioid settlement funds and a $74,000 increase in agency receipts from improved medical billing and accounts receivable.
• The $14.3 million corrections medical contract is budgeted in the health department even though Public Health has no oversight or vendor authority. Councilman Seum and Councilman Winkler questioned this arrangement. OMB said the placement is an administrative decision made years ago, not a statutory requirement, and committed to provide clarity.
• Opioid funds: $1.7 million is proposed for two evaluation/reporting positions and $1.5 million for medication-assisted treatment in corrections. Officials said there is no current call for proposals; a report on 23 previously funded projects and their metrics will be shared.
• Personnel services increase by $1.89 million despite a net decrease of two positions, mainly because of the ASME union contract. The department is converting contracted nursing to employees, with $10.7 million budgeted for employees versus $9.4 million for contracts, and expects savings because contract staff cost roughly twice as much.
• Lead program: 452 children in Jefferson County currently have active lead poisoning; the department served 422 families, conducted 375 lead risk assessments, made 158 homes lead-safe, and tested 704 pregnant women for lead.
• TB services: about 1,600 unique patients, 38 active TB cases, 609 latent cases, and 2,500 office visits. The department provides directly observed therapy and testing at shelters.
• Family Health Centers' $478,000 increase supports a school-based clinic at PRP and pop-up clinics for uninsured patients. WIC funding is stable through FY27, but federal uncertainty caused staff stress. Healthy Start awaits another allocation later in the fall. Title 10 family planning grant was not renewed, and the department expects to offset about $74,000 through Medicaid billing.
• Inspection fees cover about 50% of inspection program costs. The massage ordinance is supported by one FTE and has helped LMPD/ABC identify trafficking; no massage inspections had been conducted before the ordinance was enforced.
• The Medical Reserve Corps oversight will return to the state under a regional model; services are not expected to be affected.

Louisville Free Public Library

• Director Heather Lowe presented a proposed $29.9 million operating budget and $6.2 million capital budget. FY26 state funds were revised to $2,048,700 for Fern Creek construction, with about $200,000 remaining; no new state funds are expected in FY27.
• The library is requesting $500,000 more for materials; its total materials budget is $2.8 million including e-resources. Per-capita spending is about $3.66. Wait times decreased from 16 weeks to 9 weeks, and maximum waits from more than 40 days to about 20 days. Lowe said enhanced state standards would require $4.75 per capita, about $3.9 million.
• The library union tentative agreement passed 80-17 on May 21, will be introduced as new business on the following Monday, and is expected to bring all employees to the LMG minimum wage.
• Personnel changes: 13 part-time page positions are being reduced, mostly replaced by full-time positions; the library has a net gain of 16 FTE, many partial-year. Budget documents show part-time costs rising and full-time costs falling, and OMB agreed to provide a reconciliation.
• Capital: $5.5 million is proposed for the Highlands-Shelby Park library land, adjacent park land, and a warm dark shell of about 8,400 square feet, expandable to 12,000 square feet of public space with a mezzanine. Total estimated project cost is about $8 million, with potential opening around mid-2028. Director Lowe said the neighborhood is losing library service, and lease alternatives were explored but would be significantly more expensive.
• Councilmen Piagentini and Winkler challenged the project's cost and priority relative to Middletown, Shively, and other library needs. Piagentini said other communities contributed partnerships to rebuild libraries and asked the administration to seek local private partners or revisit the timing. Winkler requested the lease-versus-purchase cost comparison.
• The library says $700,000 in general repairs is sufficient for the coming year. Security funding is down about $200,000 because of temporary closures of the main library and Highlands-Shelby Park. Discrepancies in equipment rental and professional services line items will be reconciled.
• Council members requested per-square-foot branch usage data, including circulation and visitors, across library services.
• Councilwoman Parrish-Wright said libraries are an extension of education and expressed willingness to pay more taxes for better library funding. Councilwoman Chappell praised libraries while raising questions about capital priorities.

Key Outcomes

• The committee took no formal votes; all three hearings were informational for the FY 2026-2027 recommended budget.
• Follow-up items requested include: Corrections revenue and grant details; Public Health corrections-contract oversight and budget placement rationale, opioid fund project metrics, and staffing conversion reconciliation; Library personnel, equipment rental, professional services, lease-versus-purchase cost, and per-square-foot usage data.
• Chair Kramer adjourned the meeting at 5:52 p.m. without objection. The next budget hearing is scheduled for Thursday, with technology services set for 5:00 p.m. after the regular budget meeting.