Metro government: Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson
Jerry Abramson, mayor of Louisville-Jefferson County, Ky., visited Charleston this week to answer questions and share his experience of 
consolidating government in 2000 (after 40 years of debate). Abramson was mayor of the old city of Louisville and was then re-elected countywide after the merger.
Staff writer Rusty Marks covered Wednesday’s public meeting at the University of Charleston.
Abramson also sat down with us at the Gazette for about 45 minutes and talked about savings under the metro government, preserving the county’s 80 suburban towns, representation, interacting with new business, working with the county school system, volunteer and paid fire departments and more. You can listen to Abramson’s comments here.Â
22 comments
Here is a description of Abramson’s merger 6 years later:
Merger was a hostile takeover of the county by the city!
Read all about Abramson at Louisville’s premiere political blogger site, Louisville News and Politics
Read & Heed.
Don’t make the Abramson mistake!
Here is a description of Abramson’s merger 6 years later:
Merger was a hostile takeover of the county by the city!
Read all about Abramson at Louisville’s premiere political blogger site, Louisville News and Politics
Read & Heed.
Don’t make the Abramson mistake!
I agree this sounded like a hostel take over,and we dont need Dollar Danny doing the same. In my home town we have a Vol. fire department they do a great job I dont need Dollar Danny closeing or messing with them they are a class 5 and the ISO guy said it can not go lower do to the water system. They could go to be a paid FD it will still be a class 5. We have trash pick up,KCEAA and the sheriff’s dept. Jeepers we have the UPSD aswell. we dont need a Mayor or taxes.
[…] Mayor Jerry Abramson, speaking to the editorial board of the Charleston Gazette of West Virginia last week, explained our reasons for merging thusly: You have the chance to be, to […]
For years I supported merger of Louisville and Jefferson County. I am one who beleives that the way governments were set up a hundred or two hundred years ago is not functional in the current day of rapid transportation, commnications, etc. I supported Mayor Abramson for Mayor when we first merged. That was a mistake. He continues to be mayor of the city of Louisville and fails to give even moderate consideration of the needs of the county. His administration has been the subject of financial scandal in the housing department. He is at constant conflict with the police department. He has used the code enforcement department as a fund raising department by the fees charged and it is one of the most difficult departments in the city to deal with. I still think merger and change in government is needed, but not the way Louisville did it with the old Mayor being the new mayor and just taking over the county rather than trying to operate a new government for all of the people.
I really do hope that Mr. Abramson will not run again. I am glad that I live in the county. I absolutely did not want to live in the city for the very reasons he stated. I don’t want anything to do with the city. I certainly do not want him to represent me. It is time for a change and the Mayor for life is NOT a change!!!
Mayor Abramson has been the worst thing to happen to the Louisville Jefferson County sincethe 40’s-50’s. He thinks his office is his own fiefdom.
He has called a citizen and businessman a liar to his face and then walked of from the discussion. He told a 60 year old man and his son they could not carry a freezer thereby the trash pick up would not carry it away. The rule was that they would pick up if two people could carry it out. He said this man was lying.
Look at the roads in Louisville, look at the race relations in Louisville, look at the schools in Louisville, look at the clean up this past year in Louisville, remember the snow storm of the 90’s where trucks sat not moving or cleaning up. He is a disaster to Louisville.
He talks about how much better the schools are now, do you believe it? Still low grades and the teachers are forced to teach the test or be fired or given help. Low attendance, no discipline, and he is praising it.
Roads. Look at all the surrounding counties and you can tell when you leave Louisville. Do you enjoy driving I-65 with all its potholes?
We need a change of leadership and need it now.
Jerry Abramson has been an exemplary mayor for the city of Louisville-Metro. He is a reasonable person who makes sense out of complicated situations. He is sensitive to the needs of the whole community and has done much to bring diverse groups together. He has gotten my vote in the past and will get it in the future.
Mayor Abramson and John Yarmuth have ran their course. They both need to step down because it’s time for Change and these two do not want This. They’ve become comfortable with their jobs. For the mayor to say this is true but He know the reason for the poor,black and older community is because of the leader ship from his time in office. And to think he had to go all the way to Charleston.VA to say what the people in Louisville already has known for years and he made it such a joke. He’s put all the money in the counties and forgot the city all except for the area around A and B districts. Of course he made sure A district was well taken care of. Money for fouth street runs a plenty as other projects of his own personal use. Sorry Mayor it’s time for you and Yarmuth to go. So my vote will not be going for either one of you. Yes he tried to make it sound good but in the end it was just like he said it and he can’t take it back.
The answer is simple. Vote for Crazy Kip instead of Cordishes favorite sugardaddy. We have got to get this man out of office once and for all and make sure that the rest of the state knows not to support Beshear if it is true that he may be chosing Jerry Abramson as his Lt. Governor in the next election. People should have woke up a long time ago and broke up his “Good ol’ boy” network and realize that Merger was not for anyones benefit but his. It was not to save money by running one government, it was to rob money from the county to build the city and mostly was to extend Jerry Abramsons political riegn as mayor. His term limits were about up, but by merging city and county, he created a new government in which he technically had not served before, therefore, the term limits started all over from square one! Don’t be a fool and vote for this fool again! I will not be a bass ackward Robin Hood and take from the poor to give to multi billion dollar Cordish in Maryland. I will either hire local developers or set up more small business grants for local TAXPAYERS to start or grow their businesses and have those businesses complete any economic developement projects. That brings local jobs and keps our money in Louisville and benefits Louisville taxpayers and not multi billion dollar corporations from out of town. And after they are given millions of dollars in taxpayer money and property, the only pay $1 per month rent on 4th street live, just as they will on the Center City Project. all othe the other money is going to Cordish in Maryland, and I would suspect that a good portion will be going into some local persons pockets for setting this all up for them, but I won’t mention whose!
And now Cordish is refusing to show any records or invoices of where our money that WE gave them (OUR MONEY) is going. They feel that they are not obligated to show us any of this. Which only further reinforces my suspicions of corruption in the 4th Street Live and Center City Deals.
Help local people start businesses with grants that help taxpayers, not out of town corporations that don’t need any more money!
This is not what taxes are paid for. When Jerry Abramson handed over my money to Cordish to basically start businesses on my dime, he crossed the line. I am no longer a taxpayer, I am now an investor and a shareholder in 4th Street Live and Center City and I am now entitled to either profit sharing or stock in the company. 4th Street and Center City will bring a little more money into the city. It will create a few local jobs, but mostly it will make Cordish richer, the bars clubs and resturants (mostly owned by our of state corporations) will make money, and the city will get revenue from the local taxes from local workers paychecks, but other than that the City (and I suspect a certain somebody setting up this sweet deal for Cordish) will be the only ones benefiting from this. It will not have any impact on yours or my local economic developement, but it suspiciously looks like it will be lining a handfull of pockets! I would like to see Cordish ran out of town altogether. Even if it means buying out their contracts with the city. Let’s find some things that will truely bring growth to all Louisville taxpaying residents and truely put more money back into the community and not just to local government, big businesses from out of state and a few greased palms!
Vote for me!
Wake up Louisville!!!!
As an African-American female native to the Mountain State(WV) and now living in Metro Louisville working in the social services field in the downtown area; I am disappointed in the comments made by the mayor.
The downtown area from Germantown to the Northwestern Parkway, Portland to Shively needs revitalization regardless of ethnicity, education level and age. Louisville is a city that should embrace and unite the different cultures represented for the rest of KY doesn’t have the spirit of Louisville. I’t a shame the mayor got caught up in the racist undertones that persist in West Virginia….he needs to wake up and realize what ALL the citizens of Louisville has to offer.
However, in recent weeks the public’s attention has become increasing familiar with the “good ole boy” attitudes/behaviors of the white establishment.
Response to Chris,
Chris I will assume that your comments come from an uneducated, 10 sec plurp from the 11 o’clock news. Not all parts of the “Inner City” of Louisville which you’re referring too are gun riddled with guns, gangs, and drugs. Louisville is just like any other mid-major/large city it has crime ridden areas. Don’t assume that just because you see a finely manicured lawn, with a Land Rover parked in the drive way that everything is okay in your neighborhood. Those same folks drive to the bad parts of the city to get their fixes during their lunch hour while working in the downtown busniess district. And that’s not a story I made up many studies have been about this misconception. I was raised in the county and currently still live there, but don’t be fooled by the white pickett fence. I know many “well off” folks that live in the city aka “any where pass 9th & Roy Wilkins” and anywhere the news station points their camera and we see black folks. If you moved to another major city you probably couldn’t afford to live in the county. FYI Mayor Abramson; Allot of the black folks that are in my circle took their college degrees from UofL and UK and left this God forsaken state. It’s not progressive and so damn backward thinking. Oh, if you didn’t know black folks do go college, don’t all speak ebonics, don’t all live in the “West End”, and there are women in the community that are just as aticulate as Oprah or Michelle Obama. I said all of that Chris to eat at the sterotypes that have your brain clogged.
Much to do about nothing. He was answering a question, people. I voted for the Mayor and will again. He has always put Louisville first. He is always on the side of thoughtful thinking. Those that are complaining, I would not follow across the street. Those of you bitching need to stop and think–most of this is being pushed by Republicans. You haven’t seen bad until they get in office.
Why do people jump on every word and take out of context every time some one answers a question put to them. Isn’t the answer correct? We are older people in the city,we have a larger black population in the city and we are poorer or we would have moved to the county. Mayor Abramson is and has been an excellant leader.
I had always had a lot of respect for the Mayor; but this comment was very insensitive to people of color. I understand what he was saying as far as the demographics, but he could have put in a nicer form. He should have just said that we have more minorities instead of we are ” getting blacker, poorer and older”.
Come on Mayor Abramson you can do better
This is a copy of a comment above, but it is exactly how I feel. Thanks Lady D and “go Kip Wilson”.
“Mayor Abramson and John Yarmuth have ran their course. They both need to step down because it’s time for Change and these two do not want This. They’ve become comfortable with their jobs. For the mayor to say this is true but He know the reason for the poor,black and older community is because of the leader ship from his time in office. And to think he had to go all the way to Charleston.VA to say what the people in Louisville already has known for years and he made it such a joke. He’s put all the money in the counties and forgot the city all except for the area around A and B districts. Of course he made sure A district was well taken care of. Money for fouth street runs a plenty as other projects of his own personal use. Sorry Mayor it’s time for you and Yarmuth to go. So my vote will not be going for either one of you. Yes he tried to make it sound good but in the end it was just like he said it and he can’t take it back.”
Jerry,
Insert foot in mouth and move it all about. Such a well spoken man making such a fool of himself. Life is about karma. I think that it has finally got hold of you and is not going to let you go!!
I am the one that broke the story in Louisville with this comment. Bottom line question for me is simple. While he states he was describing the “demographics” that led to merger the question becomes who was the leader of the City and why has it not improved?
Merger was wrong primarily because it essentially gave ABramosn unlimited, unchecked power. SInce he was in charge while the City got poorer under his leadership he has not made any changes to fix that with the “new” County money added in.
Racist or not the “demographics” he used are still the same and that is unacceptable for ALL people regardless of anything that live in the City.
You want to see where Abramson’s heart is, just look at the homicide crime in the area he talked about, there has been no significant solution to that issue.
However, look at the meth lab problem and notice the money and publicity that has gone into getting that issue addressed.
Notice what he’s going to do to discourage the minority kids from the River Front Park; see what he did to downtown Louisville.
Wonder why less has been done to encourage stores and places that people in the downtown, which could service all people and not the crowd of interest to come from one section. Poor Portland has just been ignored; that area has looked worse than ever for the last 10 years.
Get rid of that Politician for Life!
Louisville’s merger has resulted in a lower quality of life for most. Abramson only wants to pump up the downtown with bars and arenas. The police and fire depts have been negatively impacted while the Mayor has made many ethically questionable deals with the Cordish developements company squandering city funds with no accountability. Do not follow Louisville’s lead!
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If they’re going to homoginize that large county, they should at least change the name from “Charleston” to “Kanawha City” (I guess the neighborhood of that name could be renamed “Charleston” LOL. After all, there’s already a more famous Charleston in S.C.) And while they’re at it they should change the name of the state back to “Kanawha.” After all, Virginia actually extends west of *West* Virginia.