My Plan for the City of Louisville

My campaign will focus on five pillars that we must strengthen to elevate our city: Public Safety, Education, Workforce Development, Affordable Housing, and Mental Health. When these five focal points operate and function simultaneously, the community can deliver a knockout punch to the societal ills and disparities that plague our city.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Louisville currently outnumbers Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Chicago in homicide rate:

  • Louisville averages 23 per 100,000 residents / Philadelphia averages 22.7 per 100,000 / Atlanta averages 21.7 per 100,000 / Chicago averages 20.5 per 100,000.
  • In 2021 alone, Louisville had 187 homicides and 109 suicides!
  • “The city hovered around 50 murders a year in 2011 and is now on track to reach about 200 by the end of 2021, which would mark a 300% increase in the last decade.”
  • Between the years of 2010 – 2021 Louisville is sitting at a total of 1016 total homicides.
  • WHAT IS OUR CITY LEADERSHIP DOING TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS? The Louisville Metro Police Department is currently down more than 240 officers.

EDUCATION

Education is the #1 way to lift a child out of the cycle of poverty. Yet, 72% of children cannot read or write at grade level in Jefferson County Public Schools. 

  • For the 2021-22 school year, there are 173 public schools serving 98,797 students in Jefferson County School District. This district’s average testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public schools in Kentucky.
  • Bus transportation is becoming an issue of inconvenience with compound and school distance radius. There are Bus driver shortages as well as children are coming home late due to having to bus transfers and compound exchange.
  • JCPS spends $17,000 per student on average from our taxes whereas, Christian Academy of Louisville tuition is only $11,000. Although Christian Academy is private, they are getting a higher quality education. I will support plans where educational money follows the student wherever parents choose to have them educated, not to schools that are failing our children.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

I will emphasize bridging the workforce gap by educating our community on local resources and empowering local businesses.

  • As we advance in a world of technology in the 21st century and with Louisville being one of the leading cities in healthcare, we must take advantage of the technological assets in our community such as AMPED Community Center, BrainSTEM University, and Tech Louisville.
  • The Spot is a young adult opportunity campus partnered with Goodwill Industries that focuses on helping individuals between the ages of 16-24 year old. I will seek to expand similar model programs to make sure we have a high skilled workforce for the jobs of today AND tomorrow.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

More than 1,000 people in Louisville, KY are living in a shelter or are living unsheltered in our city.    

  • Goodwill Industries has partnered with a program called Another Way, which targets high traffic areas and offers unhoused individuals to have an opportunity to get off the streets and work on different jobs to receive lunch and a $50 stipend for a day’s work. I will expand similar model programs.

MENTAL HEALTH

As we move past another year of record high homicides, the economic impact, and a global pandemic we must utilize local resources to restore our community.

  • The Trauma Resilient Community initiative is a five-year, $5 million federal grant that addresses violence and trauma. This is a city-wide program funded by SAMHSA to promote resilience and equity for Louisville’s youth and families. I will expand similar model programs.