Louisville Metro a bad idea. (Lexington, Nicholasville: credit, colleges, subdivisions)

[Bureaucat]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

Athens
Clays Ferry
Colby (straddled Fayette and Clark County)
Bracktown (where my granddaddy was born)
Leestown/Leesway
South Elkhorn
Todds Station

Those I remember, but I think there was another or two.

I'm pretty sure all of those little communities you mentioned are unincorporated. Jefferson county, like the NKY Cincinnati suburb counties of Campbell and Kenton, was loaded with significant numbers fairly densely packed incorporated towns of a few thousand or more located back to back. Fayette county by contrast was and is much less urban because of the horse farms. Out in the rural county, I think there's still a 10 acre minimum to discourage sprawl. There's also a program to pay farmers if they promise to preserve their farm.

Speaking of Metro government in Louisville, the last straw that led to metro government was probably when little Lexington, far smallest of the states three major metro areas, was officially the biggest city in the state at only 250,000 to 300,000 when Jefferson had more than twice that amount split into little urban or suburban enclaves.

[TPetty]

Originally Posted by Kevin1813

Not at all! I'm saying everyone in the region should be paying in the same to a single, regonal tax system.

That would really make sense and every U.S. metropolitan area should have a supraregional government. For example the Greater New York City area should have one and take all the different municipalities in New York, New Jersey, and Conneticut and they would all still remain autonomous but be under one government. So for example if you live in Jersey City, New Jersey you would pay your Jersey City municipal taxes, your county taxes, your New Jersey state taxes, your federal taxes, and last but not least your supraregional taxes. So that's how a supraregional government would and it would be an excellent alternative to a consolidated city-county government. So that being said it is possible to dissolve Louisville Metro and replace it with a supraregional government which would not only govern Jefferson County but Bullitt and Oldham counties in Kentucky, as well as, Clark and Floyd Counties in Indiana.

[Kevin1813]

In my dream, we'd completely redraw state lines around Metropolitan Statistical Areas. No more Frankfort screwing Louisville or Indianapolis screwing Southern Indiana. We could eliminate municipal taxes while we're at it. No more Oldham county residents moving to "low tax" areas by not allowing zoning that prohibits low income residents.


The states (and their associated counties) are extremely inefficient and relics of an era where citizens could only travel by horse and flatboat.


Restructuring would lead to lower tax rates and stronger communities.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by Bureaucat

I'm pretty sure all of those little communities you mentioned are unincorporated. Jefferson county, like the NKY Cincinnati suburb counties of Campbell and Kenton, was loaded with significant numbers fairly densely packed incorporated towns of a few thousand or more located back to back. Fayette county by contrast was and is much less urban because of the horse farms. Out in the rural county, I think there's still a 10 acre minimum to discourage sprawl. There's also a program to pay farmers if they promise to preserve their farm.

Speaking of Metro government in Louisville, the last straw that led to metro government was probably when little Lexington, far smallest of the states three major metro areas, was officially the biggest city in the state at only 250,000 to 300,000 when Jefferson had more than twice that amount split into little urban or suburban enclaves.

They aren't now, of course. But, my granddaddy's birth certificate says he was born in Bracktown. I know Athens was it's own chartered city with a post office when the merger happened because they were the ones who fought the merger the most when it happened.

I thought it was a bit ridiculous to claim Lexington was larger than Louisville. But then again, I also think it is a bit ridiculous for Louisville to suddenly claim they went from the 57th largest city in the nation to the 16th just by merging. Most of those cities that had been larger than Louisville prior to the merger still have a much more populated metro area, it's just the actual city limits of Louisville grew.

[TPetty]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

They aren't now, of course. But, my granddaddy's birth certificate says he was born in Bracktown. I know Athens was it's own chartered city with a post office when the merger happened because they were the ones who fought the merger the most when it happened.

I thought it was a bit ridiculous to claim Lexington was larger than Louisville. But then again, I also think it is a bit ridiculous for Louisville to suddenly claim they went from the 57th largest city in the nation to the 16th just by merging. Most of those cities that had been larger than Louisville prior to the merger still have a much more populated metro area, it's just the actual city limits of Louisville grew.

Louisville is not fully consolidated with Jefferson County. They are still other incorporated cities in the county such as Shively, St. Matthews, Anchorage, Lyndon, and Poplar Hills. So what basically happened is that the old City of Louisville and unincorporated Jefferson County consolidated together and which you look at the current population estimate of Louisville that is what's included and all the other cities I named above are excluded.

Oh and about Athens I will say that it could of retained it's municipal government and Lexington could of still consolidated. But I guess Athens would cut an unfair deal about it. That's why I oppose the idea of a city and county consolidating because it can cause other municipalities to dissolve. It'd be better to have a supraregional government instead for a metropolitan area.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by TPetty

Louisville is not fully consolidated with Jefferson County. They are still other incorporated cities in the county such as Shively, St. Matthews, Anchorage, Lyndon, and Poplar Hills. So what basically happened is that the old City of Louisville and unincorporated Jefferson County consolidated together and which you look at the current population estimate of Louisville that is what's included and all the other cities I named above are excluded.

Oh and about Athens I will say that it could of retained it's municipal government and Lexington could of still consolidated. But I guess Athens would cut an unfair deal about it. That's why I oppose the idea of a city and county consolidating because it can cause other municipalities to dissolve. It'd be better to have a supraregional government instead for a metropolitan area.

I totally agree with you. I think the loss of those small towns, with their rich history, is sad, almost bordering on tragic.

[hogsrus]

Originally Posted by Kevin1813

Really the Metro should be expanded to cover the entire metropolitan area. That way the affluent can't move a few miles away across an imaginary line to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.


Municipalities in America zone to prevent the poor from living in affluent tax districts. The affluent then sneer at the "big government, highly taxed cities". If everyone chipped in on a regional level, tax rates would not need to be so high.

"Affluent"...you are talking about them "Rich" people, right?

[TPetty]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

I totally agree with you. I think the loss of those small towns, with their rich history, is sad, almost bordering on tragic.

Will I wouldn't call it sad, but instead "a shame".

[Kevin1813]

Small towns die when they are surrounded and choked out by sprawl. If you want small towns, you have to have smart regional land development controls.


Unfortunately, most of America has never been interested in that (for reasons I understand).

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by Kevin1813

Small towns die when they are surrounded and choked out by sprawl. If you want small towns, you have to have smart regional land development controls.


Unfortunately, most of America has never been interested in that (for reasons I understand).

I've lived in ten different states over the last 27 years. I've lived in cities, suburbs and small towns. The biggest problem I see with small towns dying is not sprawl at all (unless they are on the fringe of a exurb of a metro area and get annexed by the larger community) but ignorance and a lack of open doors to new businesses, outsiders and people that don't have connections directly to that town.

The area where I live at present is just like that. 40 miles east of Kansas City. I have lived in two towns here since 2010 and in both cases, each town has businesses closing, residents moving out and being replaced by vacant buildings in business districts and virtually no new housing development.