Alabama Senate bill would require cities to disclose discretionary accounts

The Senate County and Municipal Government Committee approved a bill Tuesday that requires municipalities to disclose information about discretionary spending accounts that the jurisdiction created.

SB 306, sponsored by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would require municipalities with discretionary accounts to publish both the balance and spending activity each month.

“What this does, it is really to have transparency in government,” Kitchens said to the committee. “Different agencies, different elected officials who have discretionary accounts, it is to make it more accessible to people. Similar to what we go through with the campaign finance report, it would be publicized.”

The bill would require government agencies, boards, commissions and departments to make that information available online through their website; with the Association of County Commissions of Alabama or with the Alabama League of Municipalities.

Judges, district attorneys and clerks may also make that information public with the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Kaleb Beck, legislative counsel for the Alabama League of Municipalities, spoke against the legislation during a public hearing.

“The League’s first area of opposition is the resource burden this will place on our cities,” Beck said. “For example, our smaller municipalities might lack the technical expertise or staff to, every month, format and upload these types of documents.”

He said that municipal clerks that oversee less populated areas of the state already perform different functions, and the legislation will place them with another responsibility.

“If residents want this information published, this can be pushed for at the local level,” Beck said. “We can trust that our municipal officials will be receptive to their constituents’ wants and needs, and if not, they can be held accountable at the polls like every other elected official in the state.”

After the public hearing, Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said she would propose an amendment to the legislation to make it easier for the smaller jurisdictions to comply with the provisions with the bill.

“I understand the issue with the smaller municipalities, it may be an issue for them,” she said. “If they didn’t have the abilities to publicize it, some small towns may not have a website, but that it would be posted at city hall, a county courthouse, or whatever.”

Kitchens said he is open to continue discussing the elements contained in his bill.

“This seems like an incredibly low bar for me to reach,” said Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, the chair of the committee. “I am very supportive of your legislation.”