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Monday, April 08, 2013

Reacting to repeated malfeasance, newspaper publishes all local government salaries

A small daily newspaper in Kentucky says it has covered so many financial irregularities in local government lately that it felt compelled to reveal the names, positions and salaries of every city, county and school employee. While the information is public record, The Ledger Independent, a Lee Enterprises paper in Maysville,explained itself in an editorial, saying it felt the information needed to be published so readers could see where their tax dollars are going.

Controversies included the Mason County school superintendent retiring "amid accusations he received salaries in excess of his contract, filed duplicate expense reports and was reimbursed for expenses that had conflicting or no documentation," the editorial notes. "In December, the executive director of the Buffalo Trace Gateway Area Narcotics Task Force was dismissed after allegations of fraud and misappropriation of money and material came to light. The final straw may have been a dust-up between Maysville Mayor David Cartmell and City Manager Ray Young about access to city employee salaries. In some versions of the story, Young is quoted as telling Cartmell he could view the salary schedule only in the city manager’s office, and he could not make copies because some city documents have been left 'in a bar.'"

The editorial said, "Some may consider individual salaries as excessive, while others may find them appropriate. Some may agree with our decision to print the salaries while others may find that publication to be intrusive and unwarranted. But the fact remains that public employees, including those who work for local government and the public school system, are paid with taxpayer dollars. They are employed by the taxpayer and the taxpayer has a right to know how his/her money is being spent." (Read more) For the salary list, click here.

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