Metro Council Announces new online government checkbook

District 25 has the lowest office expenditures in 2008!

The public can now see some of how this administration spends their tax dollars.  Residents can use this new online tool to better understand Metro Government.   The site offers visitors the opportunity to search through checks written for the previous three fiscal years.  This information includes: travel expenses, contractual payments and supplies for both operating expenses and capital projects.

The checkbook, however, does not show the city’s entire budget.  For instance, employee payroll is not reflected in the online checkbook.  That is a significant dollar amount (employee payroll accounts for approximately 65% of the total budget).

“The online checkbook is a step in the right direction.  However, it does not show how Cordish spent $950,000 that the mayor gave to them unconditionally,” said Councilman Doug Hawkins.   Hawkins added, “There are still serious and unanswered questions about how our tax dollars are being spent.”

Hawkins is concerned that people will mistake this e-transparency reporting tool as accountability.  “It is only a tool, but it is a step in the right direction”, says Hawkins.  Currently the website only shows spending for 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Hawkins hopes that the checkbook will develop into a quarterly reporting tool to provide more recent figures and more thorough and detailed information.

A link to Louisville’s Online Checkbook has been posted at DougHawkins.com.

Click on the picture of the checkbook on the right side of the webpage.

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