By Peter H. Milliken

milliken@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

In an effort spearheaded by Mahoning County Auditor Ralph T. Meacham, the county will put its financial information on the state checkbook website, said Audrey Tillis, county budget director.

“We’re about transparency” in government, Tillis said.

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Meacham and the county commissioners will make the announcement at 10:30 a.m. today in the county courthouse rotunda, 120 Market St.

The announcement will follow today’s 10 a.m. commissioners meeting in the courthouse basement.

Last week, Mandel urged Ohio cities, counties, townships and school districts to place local government checkbooks on OhioCheckbook.com, a website launched Dec. 2, on which citizens can see every state government expenditure.

Meacham brought the idea to the commissioners, and they agreed to support it, Tillis said.

“We think it’s a good idea. The commissioners think it’s just one more level of transparency,” said Tillis, who works in the commissioners’ office.

“It’s going to be a joint effort between the commissioners and the auditor’s office,” she added.

The effort reflects bipartisan cooperation as Mandel and Meacham are Republicans and the three commissioners are Democrats.

Tillis said she believes the county’s financial information will be presented on a link from the county’s website to the state checkbook website, but she did not know when the county will begin posting its information.

The types of information the county will present are still being worked out in accordance with state public-records laws, Tillis said, adding that she believes the county’s information will “somewhat mirror” the state’s format.

“Ohioans have a right to see how their tax money is being spent at every level of government,” Mandel said.

“My vision is to create an army of citizen watchdogs who are empowered to hold public officials accountable,” the state treasurer added.

State Auditor Dave Yost, a Republican, said Mandel’s checkbook “may be the most-important transparency initiative since the original public-records law.”

Last week, Mandel sent letters to 18,062 officials of 3,962 local governments and school districts inviting them to join the state checkbook initiative at no cost to the local entities.

To date, there have been more than 158,000 searches of the state’s checkbook website, which puts all state spending information on the Internet.