Ohio treasurer upgrading website

YOUNGSTOWN — After getting the state’s checkbook online, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel will now focus on getting the 3,800 or so local government subdivisions to do the same at no cost to them.

Mandel, a Republican, had his office spend about 18 months building a website — ohiocheckbook.com — and providing information on about $408 billion in state spending from about 112 million transactions from 2008 to 2014. It will continue to update the information.

The website allows citizens to search and compare spending by all state government agencies with 36 different pieces of information on every transaction.

Mandel, re-elected last month to another four-year term as treasurer, visited The Vindicator today to discuss the website.

Next on his list are government subdivisions — including cities, townships, counties, villages, fire districts, libraries, sewer districts.

For the complete story, read Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com