Owen Says Expanded Services Discussion May Come Next Year

Louisville Metro Council President Tom Owen says while an expansion of city services into the suburbs didn’t happen on his watch, that doesn't mean it's out of the question.Owen's one-year term as president will expire next month. During his tenure, Owen considered forming an urban services committee. The group would look into extending city services such as garbage collection into the old county. But while Owen says an expansion is necessary, last year was not the time to begin working on it."Maybe we ought to wait until after we get the next mayor in place, then focus as a legislative on the meaning, the fuller meaning, of urban services: how you pay for them, who's going to pay for them, and they certainly need to be extended, but how do you extend them," he says.Currently, residents of the old city pay additional taxes to receive urban services. Owen is expected to be replaced as council president by Jim King, who is the only council member seeking the office.