Louisville's Merger 2.0 Task Force Submits Final Recommendations

A final report from Louisville's Merger 2.0 Task Force has been handed to Mayor Greg Fischer.The task force was created last January to review the 2003 merger between city and county governments. Five subcommittees met regularly the past several months to discuss what changes Metro Government should consider. Several recommendations address long-standing issues in the county, such as what exactly Urban Service District includes and how much residents within USD pay for services.Fischer said he plans on discussing the recommendations with officials over the next couple months. Changes to merger law must be made at the state level and Fischer wants to prepare any such legislative requests by the end of the year, he said.Click here to see to see a list of the recommendations.Subcommittee highlights include:Data Gathering and Communications: additional research on cost and delivery method of services in Jefferson County.Fire and EMS: data sharing between the agencies, organization of internal disaster management, increase communication between EMS and fire, establish model for closest unit response.Public Safety: attempt to decrease response time, increase community visibility.Solid Waste and Recycling: combat illegal dumping.Transportation and Infrastructure: undertake study to develop a "Multimodal Transportation System Plan," accelerate timetable for Ohio River Bridges Project.