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From its earliest days
Louisville was governed by a board of trustees. In 1828, when it became Kentucky's first city, government shifted to a ten-member "Common Council". In 1851 the city was given a new charter, keeping the Common Council as a "lower house" to the Board of Aldermen, an "upper house"
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Hattie E. Hoffman became the first female
Alderman in 1929. Eugene S. Clayton became the first black Alderman in 1945, and W.J. Hodge became the first black president in 1977. The first female president was Melissa Mershon in 1990. Denise Bentley was elected the first black female president in 2002.
94:, the city could only expand south in most places, making most wards very long and thin by the mid-20th century. In 1961 boundaries were completely redrawn to reflect traditional neighborhood boundaries, and were to be redrawn after every census to keep the population of each balanced.
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Wards were also created with the 1828 city charter, with five total wards initially. A new charter in 1851 increased the number of wards to eight. The number increased to 12 in 1893, and remained there until city-county merger 110 years later.
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In 1929 the larger but less prestigious Common
Council was eliminated, leaving just the Board of Aldermen as the city's sole legislative body, in an arrangement that would become familiar to Louisvillians over the next 75 years.
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of the city's legislative power. Originally
Aldermen had to live in a ward and be elected by its residents. Reforms in 1893 aimed at reducing corruption allowed citywide election of all Aldermen, who could live in any ward.
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Aldermen served a two-year term, and the salary was not intended as compensation for a full-time position, but merely to allow them to spend less time at their jobs in order to serve the city.
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In 1981 Aldermen were each given a full-time assistant, and in 1994 a pool of nine additional aides was created to be shared by all
Aldermen.
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Wards were originally split contiguously on an east-to-west axis across the city. Due to the nature of the
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Party primaries in the individual wards began to be held in 1981.
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insisted on being referred to as an "Alderwoman" in 1999.
31:was the legislative branch of government for the
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109:List of mayors of Louisville, Kentucky
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164:2003 disestablishments in Kentucky
149:Government of Louisville, Kentucky
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169:Defunct unicameral legislatures
159:1851 establishments in Kentucky
154:History of Louisville, Kentucky
104:History of Louisville, Kentucky
132:The Encyclopedia of Louisville
123:The Encyclopedia of Louisville
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29:Louisville Board of Aldermen
18:Louisville Board of Alderman
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35:prior to its merger with
174:Kentucky city councils
130:"Board of Aldermen".
33:City of Louisville
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37:Jefferson County
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143:Categories
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98:See also
134:. 2001.
125:. 2001.
47:History
82:Wards
41:wards
27:The
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