Two Louisville Metro Councilmen say they'll propose an ordinance that would create a searchable database containing all Metro Government revenues and expenditures.Republicans Hal Heiner and Ken Fleming say they'll tap into their office expense funds to share the ten-thousand dollar cost of launching the so-called e-transparency initiative, with the expectation that Metro Government would operate the website.Heiner says the ordinance will be introduced at the next Metro Council meeting Thursday."Thirty-five states have gone this way, even the us government is developing a searchable that's available by state, by region," Heiner said.Also at the announcement were leaders of unions that represent many city workers.They contend that they've had a difficult time recently obtaining budget information from the mayor's office. But a mayor's spokesperson disputes that claim, saying government data is readily available to all taxpayers, most of it on the city's existing website.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.