Louisville council advances historic‑preservation tax extension and several charter amendments to ballot

Louisville City Council and two advisory boards met jointly to consider task‑force recommendations to extend and refine the city’s historic‑preservation sales and use tax and to review a suite of proposed charter amendments. On first reading, the council approved several ordinances to be placed on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot and set public hearings for July 21.

Community Development Director Rob Zuccaro summarized the task force findings: continue the existing 0.125% historic‑preservation tax and extend it for another 10 years, increase the share allocated to the museum campus from 20% to 30%, and allow more flexible spending for programs and capital projects that "promote and preserve the city's history and cultural heritage." Zuccaro said the city currently receives about $900,000 annually from the tax and estimated a minimum $32,000 cost to place the measure on the ballot. "The task force was recommending extending it for another 10 years," Zuccaro said.

City Attorney Kathleen Kelly advised that TABOR (the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) requires specific ballot language even for tax extensions, including an annual revenue estimate; staff used $1,500,000 as a cap buffer to avoid refunding complications in 2029. "Unfortunately, we can't change that language, because the tax is expiring," Kelly told the council, explaining why the measure lists an estimate.

Council and commission members discussed allocation and program detail. Several commission representatives and museum board members urged increased and flexible funding for the museum’s operations and for preservation incentives. Council members questioned whether proposed language would limit museum campus projects strictly to the campus footprint and asked staff for clarification; staff confirmed projects such as miner cabins off campus could qualify under the broader flexible language.

Following the discussion, council members moved and approved on first reading a package of ordinances to be placed on the November ballot, including: an ordinance to extend and amend the historic‑preservation sales/use tax (Ordinance No. 19‑28) and charter amendments on executive sessions, timing of when elected officials take office, initiative/referendum signature thresholds, locations for public meetings, review/comment period for initiated measures, and modernizing gendered language. Several ordinances were approved on first reading with roll‑call votes recorded in the minutes and public hearings scheduled for July 21.

What happens next: staff will finalize ballot language per the revisions discussed, post factual information for voters, and return to council with second‑reading public hearings on July 21. If voters approve the tax extension on November 3, the city's museum campus allocation would increase to 30% and the tax authorization would include additional programmatic flexibility starting in 2027.