Auditor's office helps move transparency in the right direction

BIPPS.org - Government Transparency

This week, Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen made great strides toward promoting transparency in Kentucky.From the press release:

Auditor Adam Edelen today unveiled a public database and accompanying report that shine new light on special districts, a $2.7 billion layer of government in the Commonwealth that has operated in the shadows for decades.

The auditor’s office has identified more than 1,200 special districts – unelected entities such as libraries, sanitation districts and public health departments that have the ability to fee and tax but operate with little oversight and accountability.

“It is a scandal that for generations no Kentuckian has been able to determine how many special districts exist, how much money flows through them, where they are located and whether they are compliant with state law,” Edelen said.

This is the type of activity that we need more of in Frankfort. Proactive measures to shed preliminary light on agencies and practices that have operated in the dark is always a good thing.

Now the goal is to dig deeper into contracts, budgets, check registers, etc...You can read the entire report by the auditor's office here.