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| Transparency Coming for KLC and KACO? |
| Wednesday, 10 February 2010 18:27 | |||
 State lawmakers are trying to thrust transparency on a couple of troubled quasi governmental organizations. The House Local Government Committee Wednesday unanimously approved a bill which would require the Kentucky League of Cities and Kentucky Association of Counties to follow the state’s open meetings and open records laws.In recent months both of the organizations were exposed for their excessive expenditures and lax oversight, first by a series of reports in the Lexington Herald Leader and then in audits by the State Auditor. For instance, in December a 228 page audit of the KLC outlined numerous instances of unfettered credit card use, personal gain and exorbitant executive salaries and bonuses. During discussion on the bill lawmakers sent a stern message about transparency to the two organizations, which rely, partially, on taxpayer funded membership dues from the cities and counties which are members. "There's an image problem," said Rep. Derrick Graham, (D) Frankfort. “And all of us are in public relations. Part of our job is public relations. 99 percent of what we do is perception, and the perception right now is that we need to correct this and that is what we are trying to do." "Once the light of day is shed, once it's open up, that precludes certain lax practices because those practices would be the subject of a story saying that did you know the board approved raises for 120 executives,” said bill sponsor, Rep. Arnold Simpson, (D) Covington. In response, Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Miller, whose city is one of 353 across the state which belongs to KLC admitted lax oversight. “We let go of the reigns and we've taken them back,” Miller responded. However, she says the lack of oversight, not a lack of openness was the problem. Among those who attended the legislative meeting was Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry, a staunch supporter of the bill mandating more transparency. Trackback ( 0 )
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