Office of Sustainability Expected in Mayor’s Budget

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will unveil his budget for the next fiscal year this week and it’s expected to include funds for an Office of Sustainability.Mayor Fischer expressed a desire to establish the office during his campaign, but the topic became controversial when Fischer was accused of promising independent candidate Jackie Green influence over the department in exchange for withdrawing from the race.Green says he was eventually asked for input on the office but he hasn’t talked with anyone about it in several months. He says his discussions were mostly with local developer Gil Holland, a Fischer supporter during the race.“I’ve been giving to Gil a lot of thoughts and giving freely to others in the administration, thoughts that I have on sustainability issues," says Green "what they are doing with those thoughts, I don’t know”.Although he has given input on the matter, Green says he does not expect to be consulted if the office is created.“I have maybe a larger megaphone than other people," he says "so I am a part of it whether they want me to be or not, you know I can be inside the tent or I can be outside the tent.”Policy advisor Brandon Coan says the sustainability officer would be the face of sustainability initiatives for the city and coordinate those efforts in the community.