Opinion ID: 1678629
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: does hb 250 impermissibly permit the payment of salaries of governmental officials by one other than the commonwealth?

Text: Appellants argue that HB 250 permits payment of the salaries of government officials by a party other than the Commonwealth. Appellants claim that RWJF is paying the salaries of state officials and that this payment violates Ky. Const. § 246 and KRS § 11A.040(5) & § 64.640. There is no language in HB 250 or any regulatory enactments pursuant thereto which give any support to this argument. There is nothing in the record which supports the allegation. Appellants claim that members of the HPB were paid in whole or in part by RWJF and simply cites, without any greater specificity, to various grant documents. The Court has reviewed these documents and finds nothing which supports appellants' claim. [13] Public servants are just thatpersons who hold governmental position acting on behalf of the public. Accordingly, they can only be paid by the public. KRS § 64.640 (payments to public officials must be made from the state treasury). Public officials cannot accept payments from any other source than the state treasury. KRS § 11A.040(5). Appellants claim that RWJF paid the salaries of various members of the HPB. Appellants appear to confuse the difference between a direct payment from a non-governmental organization to a public official and a grant of money from a non-governmental organization to a government which is used to fund a certain program, including the salaries of the persons who execute the program. The former is unconstitutional for the reasons mentioned above, while the latter is not. Claiming that giving a grant of money to a government to fund a program is the same as having a public official on a private organization's payroll is without basis. There is no prohibition against an organization donating money to the state, as long as the donation itself is not impermissible or for an improper purpose. The trial court made a specific finding that payments not made directly from RWJF to state employees, but rather from RWJF to state treasury to state employees. We see no reason to disturb the finding.