SEN. AMANDA MAYS BLEDSOE PUSHES FOR TRANSPARENCY WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL REPORTING BILL
FRANKFORT, KY (Feb. 19, 2025)—Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, introduced legislation on Tuesday to increase financial transparency in local government by ensuring taxpayers have clear, centralized access to information about how their tax dollars are spent.
Senate Bill (SB) 218 requires the Kentucky Department of Revenue to provide a single online location where taxpayers can find financial reports and tax rates for all local taxing authorities, including city and county governments, school districts, and special-purpose entities. This initiative aims to streamline public access to local financial data.
Under the legislation:
The Department of Revenue will create a central web page linking to financial reports for every local taxing authority.
Local governments must publish their financial reports on their websites, if they maintain one, and provide a direct link to the report.
If a local government does not have a website, it must submit its financial report to the county library, where it will be available to the public.
By 2026, all local governments must notify the Department of Revenue where their financial report can be accessed.
“As a former city council member, I have an appreciation for a desire to make local government more accessible and understandable to constituents,” Bledsoe said. “Taxpayers especially deserve to see where their money goes without having to jump through hoops or comb through bureaucracy to get answers. SB 218 ensures financial reports are easy to find, whether online or at a local library.”
The bill also requires that beginning in 2026, all local governments include a public notice in newspapers or other local publications directing people to the state’s online financial reporting hub.
Bledsoe recognizes the importance of financial transparency and proposes simplifying public access to tax and spending information for all local governments across the commonwealth.
Find SB 218 online here.
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Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, represents the 12th Senate District, including Boyle, Mercer, and Woodford Counties and part of Fayette County. She serves as vice chair of both the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee and the Senate Families and Children Committee. Additionally, Bledsoe is an ex officio member of various budget review subcommittees, including Health and Family Services; Education; Justice; General Government and Economic Development; and Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. She co-chairs the Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity statutory committee and is a member of the Licensing and Occupations Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight statutory committee. In 2024, she co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Task Force and served on the 2024-26 Budget Preparation and Submission statutory committee.
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