The KLC City Census: A Review of how cities protect the public

Kentucky’s cities provide a plethora of critical services that their citizens rely on every day. From the streets that are used to visit our loved ones, to the parks where our children form lasting friendships, Kentuckians know that their hard-earned tax dollars are being effectively utilized by their local elected officials. However, despite all the ways Kentucky’s cities make their respective communities a place of pride for their citizens, it is public safety officials that create a safe-haven and allow Kentuckians to enjoy all their cities have to offer.  

Public safety is one of the most paramount services that our local municipal governments provide. In FY 2024, Kentucky cities spent over $960 million on public safety, which accounted for nearly 16% of their total municipal expenditures. The table below outlines city expenditures by category.  

Excluding both Lexington and Louisville, the percentage of total municipal expenditures toward public safety increases to 21%, demonstrating the commitment to public safety from Kentucky’s smaller municipalities. The table below shows the percentage of public safety expenditures from total municipal expenditures by population range. 

Most cities expense over one-fifth of taxpayer dollars toward law enforcement, fire protection, and emergency management services. In FY 2024, cities spent approximately $460 million on policing and over $373 million on fire protection and EMS. 

Public safety data indicate that within the state, over 49% of police officers, both sworn and civilian, are employed by municipal police departments. In terms of city employment, municipal police officers, both sworn and civilian, account for approximately 18% of our public sector workforce.  

There are more than 630 volunteer fire departments, 52 paid departments, and 87 combined. Within the over 770 fire departments within the Commonwealth, over 25% of these departments are city-operated. Of the city-operated fire departments, 88% are comprised of volunteers.  

Kentuckians are proud of the communities they call home because of the essential government services that are provided by their local municipal governments.  

The next article in this series will examine local ordinances and city governance. Following the conclusion of the KLC City Census series, a detailed report of the full survey results and an analysis of municipal research will become available.