Louisville Metro Council

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Louisville Metro Council

Type
Type|

Unicameral

of Louisville/Jefferson County Metro, Kentucky

Term limits

| None
History
Founded| January 1, 2003 (2003-01-01)
Preceded by| Louisville Board of Alderman and Jefferson County Fiscal Court

New session started

| January 3, 2023
Leadership

President

Markus Winkler (D)
since January 3, 2023

Majority Caucus Leader/President Pro-Tempore

Paula McCraney (D)
since January 3, 2023

Minority Caucus Leader

Anthony Piagentini (R)
since January 3, 2023

Womans Caucus Leaders

Paula McCraney & Jennifer Chappell (D)
since March 23, 2023

Structure
Seats| 26 members

Political groups

| Majority (17)

* Democratic (17)

Minority (9)

* Republican (9)

Length of term

| Four years
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

Last election

| November 8, 2022

Next election

| November 12, 2024
Redistricting| 2020
Meeting place
Louisville City Hall
Website
louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council
Rules
louisvilleky.gov/metro-council/document/mc-rules-02202023
Louisville City Hall in downtown, built 1870–1873, is a blend of Italianate styles characteristic of Neo-Renaissance

The Louisville Metro Council is the city council of Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville Metro). It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court (three county commissioners). Louisville City Hall houses the offices and chambers of the council.

Louisville's Metro Council consists of twenty-six seats corresponding to districts apportioned by population throughout Jefferson County. Although all cities in Jefferson County, apart from Louisville, retained their status after the merger, their residents are represented on Metro Council and vote alongside other county residents. The seats come up for reelection every four years, using a staggered process so that only half of the seats are up every two years.

Since the council's inception, Democrats have maintained a majority in the chamber, currently with seventeen members (65%). Democrats gained two seats in the 2010 election, gained another two seats in the 2018 midterms, and lost two seats in the 2022 election.

## History

[edit]

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The first semblance of local government came shortly after the settlement began. This was originally considered part of Virginia. In 1779, pioneering founders elected five men as "trustees". In 1780 the town was formerly chartered and the Virginia legislature provided for local government by nine legislature-appointed trustees. When Kentucky became a state in 1792, the Kentucky legislature took over the appointments.

Trustees did not have to live in Louisville until a 1795 law change. In 1797 citizens were given home rule and the privilege of electing trustees. Most important decisions were made at the state level, and the trustees were administrators rather than legislators.

When Louisville was incorporated as Kentucky's first city in 1828, it gained greater autonomy. A ten-member "Common Council" was founded, to be headed by a mayor. In 1851 the city was given a new charter, keeping the Common Council as a "lower house" to the Board of Aldermen, an "upper house" of the city's legislative power. In 1929 the larger but less prestigious Common Council was eliminated. This legislative system continued until City-County Merger.

The 26-seat Louisville Metro Council was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County. It replaced both the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court (three county commissioners).

## Council President

[edit]

The Louisville Metro Council President is the presiding officer of the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Council. The President is elected annually by a majority vote of the entire council at the council's first meeting in January. Currently the President is Markus Winkler (D), who was elected unanimously on January 3, 2023.[1]

Council Presidents

* 2023–present: Markus Winkler (D)
* 2018–2023: David James (D)
* 2016–2018: David Yates (D)
* 2015–2016: David W. Tandy (D)
* 2011–2015†: Jim King (D)
* 2010–2011: Tom Owen (D)
* 2009–2010: David W. Tandy (D)
* 2008–2009: Jim King (D)
* 2007–2008: Rick Blackwell (D)
* 2006–2007: Kevin Kramer (R)
* 2005–2006: Barbara Shanklin (D)
* 2004–2005: Kelly Downard (R)
* 2003–2004: Ron Weston (D)

†Died in office

## Members

[edit]

Further information: List of members of the Louisville Metro Council

## Ordinances

[edit]

In 2006, two controversial ordinances were passed: a smoking ban in and a restrictive animal control ordinance.[2]

### One Touch Make Ready

[edit]

Main article: One Touch Make Ready

In 2016, Louisville's Metro Council was the first among several cities in the United States to approve a One Touch Make Ready ordinance for allowing new communications service providers to alter/relocate existing utility pole attachments owned by third party communications service providers.[3] Louisville's Metro Council faced multiple lawsuits following its approval of the ordinance. [4]

### Breonna's Law

[edit]

Main article: Killing of Breonna Taylor

On June 10, 2020, the Metro Council unanimously approved ″Breonna's Law″ banning no-knock search warrants after the 26-year-old emergency room technician was killed by Louisville police on March 13, and the city erupted in violent protests on May 28.[5] Police Chief Steve Conrad was fired on June 1 after the fatal shooting of black business owner David McAtee.[6]

## See also

[edit]

* List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky
* Craig Greenberg, currently the Mayor of Louisville Metro
* Government of Louisville, Kentucky
* Local government in the United States
* Seal of Louisville, Kentucky

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Democratic Caucus elect leadership for 2023". Louisvilleky.gov. January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
2. ^ "Most requested ordinances". louisvilleky.gov. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
3. ^ Bailey, Phillip (February 11, 2016). "Google Fiber Measure passed over objections". The Courier Journal. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
4. ^ Bailey, Phillip (February 26, 2016). "AT&T sues Louisville Metro over One Touch Fiber proposal". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
5. ^ Johnson, Martin (June 11, 2020). "Louisville passes 'Breonna's Law' banning no-knock warrants". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
6. ^ "Louisville police chief fired after fatal shooting of black business owner". CBS News. June 2, 2020. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louisville Metro Council.

* Official website
* Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky Metro Government Code of Ordinances
* Search Metro’s Resolutions, Ordinances, and legislative files from 2014 to present
* Metro Council Archives 2003–2013

* v
* t
* e

City of Louisville and metro area

History|

* Timeline
* Historic places
* Founder: George Rogers Clark
* Corn Island
* Fort Nelson
* Bloody Monday religious riots (1855)
* Civil War
* Southern Exposition (1883–87)
* 1890 tornado
* 1937 flood
* 1968 riots
* 1973 Kentucky Derby (Secretariat)
* 1974 tornadoes
* Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
* Championships in 1980 / 1986 / 2013 [vacated]
* 2015 scandal
* Standard Gravure shooting (1989)
* Ohio River Bridges Project (2002–16)
* Breonna Taylor
* Killing (2020)
* Protests
* 2023 bank shooting

Geography|

* Downtown
* Cityscape
* Climate
* Local landmarks
* Neighborhoods
* Parks
* Preservation districts (Old Louisville)

Government|

* Mayor (Craig Greenberg)
* Metro Council (President: Markus Winkler)

Transportation|

* Airports
* Muhammad Ali International
* Bowman Field
* Bridges
* Lewis and Clark
* Big Four
* Lincoln
* Kennedy
* Clark/2nd St.
* 14th St.
* K&I
* Sherman Minton
* Louisville Union Station
* McAlpine Locks and Dam
* Roads
* TARC

Other subject
areas|

* Attractions and events
* Cuisine
* Economy
* Education
* Media
* People
* Performing arts
* Public art
* Religion
* Sports

Top subjects|

* Muhammad Ali
* Muhammad Ali Center
* Cave Hill Cemetery
* Falls of the Ohio
* Farmington
* Kentucky Derby (Festival)
* KFC
* History
* Colonel Sanders
* L&N
* Louisville Slugger
* Speed Art Museum
* University of Louisville (Cardinals)

National Historic
Landmarks|

* Belle of Louisville
* Churchill Downs
* Historic Locust Grove
* Mayor Andrew Broaddus
* Old Bank
* Zachary Taylor House
* United States Marine Hospital
* Water Tower

Prominent suburbs
(over 10K pop.)|

* Clarksville
* Jeffersontown
* Jeffersonville
* Lyndon
* Mount Washington
* New Albany
* St. Matthews
* Shelbyville
* Shepherdsville
* Shively

* Category (city)
* Category (metro area)
* WikiProject

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