Case Study
Metropolitan Government of Louisville-Jefferson County, KY
Post Merger Advisory Services
At the start of the merger process, the City of LouisvilleandJeffersonCountyeach had separate debt, credit ratings, police forces, labor contracts, and assets to manage. By the beginning of 2003, the City of LouisvilleandJefferson County, Kentucky merged into a single general-purpose government - the Metropolitan Government of Louisville-Jefferson County ("Metro") - overnight creating the 16th largest city in the country.
Facing the challenge of combining City and County operating departments has many challenges. None is more difficult than collective bargaining, with differing wages, benefits, work rules, and job classifications. PFM has undertaken comprehensive assessment of the compensation, work practices, and other aspects of the Metro Government's Police (sworn and civilians), Corrections, Emergency Medical Services, and Emergency Communications operations.
This analysis supported the Administration's development of a negotiation strategy for each bargaining unit, with strategy components tied to fiscal and service delivery objectives.