News
Ohio Online Checkbook Again Tops Watchdog Group’s Ranking
By: Associated Press
Posted on:
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio once again tops a watchdog group’s ranking of transparency in government spending.
An annual U.S. Public Interest Research Group report released Wednesday cites the OhioCheckbook.com website as exemplary. The site launched in 2014 features interactive, Google-style searches of billions in state spending. Spending for Ohio’s five public pension funds and more than 600 local government entities have been added since Ohio leaped to the top of the ranking last spring.
Other states receiving A-pluses were Michigan, Indiana, Oregon and Connecticut. California, Alaska and Idaho received Fs.
U.S. PIRG commends Michigan for streamlining its transparency data and West Virginia for launching a site showing the projected and actual public benefit of major subsidy programs.
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel says Ohio’s site is used by taxpayers, journalists and law enforcement.