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Ohio treasurer puts Ohio's checkbook online
YOUNGSTOWN
After getting the state’s checkbook online, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel will focus now 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 separate pieces of information on every transaction.
Mandel, re-elected last month to another four-year term as treasurer, visited The Vindicator on Tuesday to discuss the website.
It cost $814,000 to build, and Mandel said his office cut $6 million in expenses during his first term so there was money to pay for ohiocheckbook.com.
Next on his list are government subdivisions — including cities, townships, counties, villages, fire districts, libraries and sewer districts.
Mandel’s office will send letters to officials at the subdivisions asking them to provide similar information about their spending to be added to the website. About half of the 3,800 or so subdivisions in the state have software similar to the state’s, and can easily provide the information, he said.
Mandel said his office is willing to help all provide the information at no cost to them.
If entities don’t comply, “I’m going to show up at public meetings and ask, ‘What do you have to hide? Why won’t you provide the information?’” he said.
The third phase would be state universities and state pension funds, he said.
Mandel said he didn’t know how long it will take for all of this to be implemented.
Mandel wanted the state Legislature to pass a bill in the just-completed session making the website mandatory under state law. Another attempt will be made in next year’s session.
“The importance of the bill is so after I’m done as treasurer, we want future state treasurers to keep it on the Web,” he said. “We can have it stay after the next four years when I’m no longer treasurer.”
When asked if that meant he wouldn’t seek another office before his upcoming four-year term starts, Mandel said, “That’s the plan. That’s my plan.”
Mandel listed the salaries of all state employees in 2011, his first year as treasurer. It initially had a series of omissions and mistakes that later were corrected.