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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Out Of Control Spending Kentucky League Of Cities & Association Of Counties Face Audits. Some People Need Criminal Defense Lawyers, & I'm Available!

Follow this link: State to audit League of Cities, KACo
By Ryan Alessi and Linda B. Blackford

State Auditor Crit Luallen said Wednesday she will audit the Kentucky Association of Counties and Kentucky League of Cities after "alarming media reports" by the Lexington Herald-Leader that created "serious concerns over spending."

Luallen sent letters to KACo President Mike Foster, the Christian County Attorney, and League president Connie Lawson, Richmond's mayor, notifying them of the forthcoming audit.

The auditor's investigation comes after the Herald-Leader reported this week that KACo's five top officials spent nearly $600,000 in two years on travel, meals and other expenses. More than half of those expenses were charged by Bob Arnold, KACo's executive director.

Last month, the newspaper reported that the League's top three leaders charged $300,000 in trips and expenses over three years.

"It is clear by the examples of extravagant spending and lack of transparency that these agencies and their boards need the necessary tools to fulfill their responsibilities to the taxpayers," Luallen said in a statement.

Both organizations are non-profit groups funded through dues from local governments and fees for providing insurance and financing services to counties and cities.

In addition to the newspaper articles, Luallen said her office has received "specific concerns" about the two organizations.

"In these tough economic times, it's more important than ever that these two agencies, which are funded by the public and governed by elected officials, have full transparency and thorough scrutiny," Luallen said. ...

the League [has] declined a subsequent open records request from the Herald-Leader, saying it had complied with earlier requests voluntarily and is not a public agency. The Herald-Leader plans to seek a ruling from the attorney general's office on the League's status as a public agency.

Luallen said the League's decision to stop providing documents to the Herald-Leader made her reconsider an earlier decision to hold off on deciding whether to audit the agency until its board implemented new rules.

"We felt it was important to move forward in spite of that (reform) because once the League made the decision not to share any more public records, I think it raised questions about transparency," Luallen told the Herald-Leader Wednesday.

Editor's comment: This is about the best news that has come out of Kentucky in a long while, and like my caption states: many folks are going to need criminal defense Attorneys and I am available for hire.

To read the Auditor's audit announcement, go here.

Update: To read her letter to Kentucky league of cities, go here, and here for her letter to the Kentucky Counties organization.

Tsk, tsk.

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