Committee To Discuss "Audit Ordinance"

The Louisville Metro Council's Government Accountability and Oversight committee is preparing to review an ordinance that increases transparency for city spending.The so-called audit ordinance would ensure that any use of city funds is subject to open records requests.The legislation follows a controversy over the Cordish Company's use of 950 thousand dollar forgivable loan. The company used the money to renovate a bowling alley in 4th Street Live but refuses to release specific spending records, saying they are private.Ordinance co-sponsor Jim King says the legislation is necessary as public-private partnerships become more common."Some of these bigger projects have come to Louisville over the years, and I think to some extent there's no malice of forethought but sometimes when questions are asked and you realize there's no mechanism for getting the answers and you have to correct that," he says. "And I think that's what I'm doing here."The committee will meet next week to discuss the ordinance.