Louisville Merger: A Community Conversation

Segment 1

Introduction and overview (6:35 total)

• Introduction
  Host Jean West welcomes viewers and introduces the first report.
• The merger legislation
  WHAS-TV reporter Mark Hebert explains what the legislation voters will decide on actually says about other existing cities in Jefferson County, government services, the fate of current city and county laws, and affirmative action.

Segment 2

Street talk (4:21)

"Person-on-the-street" interviews provide a quick survey of what citizens expect from government, how happy they are with current services, and how well informed they feel about the merger issue.

Segment 3

Merger's impact on government services (2:09)

Reporter Mark Hebert explains that the merger legislation does not actually mandate the merging of city and county police, ambulance, and fire services and looks at the potential impact on planning and zoning.

Segment 4

Questions and answers about the current merger plan (8:00 total)

Elected officials and other experts answer questions posed in the first two programs of the series. Questions and respondents:

• Why should residents of the other 92 cities in Jefferson County have the right to vote for mayor if they are not going to be a part of the merged government?
  (attorney Bill Warner; Jefferson County Judge Executive Rebecca Jackson)
• Citizens of the city of Louisville now pay city and county taxes. If the city is dissolved, will these citizens still pay city and county taxes? Will taxes increase for all reisdents of Jefferson County?
  (Mayor David Armstrong; historian Tom Owen)
• How was this current merger plan designed -- by whom, and using what information/city as a guideline? Who gave the OK to the current merger plan?
  (County Commissioner Russ Maple; Ky. Rep. Mary-Lou Marzian)
• How are services being addressed in this merger plan? What services will merge, what is the timeline for this to happen, and what are the costs/savings to the residents?
  (former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson; County Commissioner Darryl Owens)
• What will the government representation be for the residents of Jefferson County? How will it be decided?
  (University of Louisville Professor Hank Savitch; attorney Irv Maze)

Segment 5

Jefferson County's smaller cities (5:39)

Reporter Chip Polston talks to Shively Mayor Jim Jenkins, who opposes the merger plan, and Jeffersontown Mayor Daniel Ruckriegel, who supports it, about the reasons for their positions and the potential impacts on their cities as well as the other small cities in Jefferson County.

Segment 6

Comparison with Lexington (5:06)

Reporter Bill Goodman talks to Lexington officials and others involved with the Lexington-Fayette County merger, which took effect in the mid-1970s, about how that merged government is working and what questions Louisvillians should be asking.

Segment 7

Questions and answers about the prospects for merger, now and in the future (19:23 total)

Elected officials and other experts answer questions about whether they believe the merger plan will pass and, if it does not, what the future options are:

• Given what has happened in the past with merger votes and the comments made at our forums, what do you think are the chances that this plan will pass? Do you think it will be close?
  (Commissioner Owens; Mayor Armstrong)
• What are your overall thoughts on merger? What are the strengths and weaknesses you see in the plan?
  (Louisville Alderman Barbara Gregg; Judge-Executive Jackson)
• If the plan is rejected this year, what is the hope for passing a merger plan in the future? Why does the issue continue to come up despite the failures?
  (Greater Louisville, Inc. President and CEO Steve Higdon; Shively Mayor Jenkins)
• What will it take to pass a merger plan in the future? What will the plan need to entail? How do we get beyond this point?
  (Commissioner Owens; Mayor Armstrong; Alderman Gregg; Judge-Executive Jackson)

Segment 8

Wrap-up (6:00 total)

• Merger timeline
  Host Jean West outlines the sequence of events through which merger will be implemented if approved by voters.
• Final thoughts from Mark Hebert
  Hebert gives his perspective on the most important questions voters should think about when making their decisions on merger.
• Ballot wording/program close
  Host Jean West gives the actual wording of the merger proposal that will appear on the ballot and thanks partners and viewers.