The Akron Legal News

Online database for state government spending sought

TIFFANY L. PARKS
Special to the Legal News
Published: March 30, 2015

In 2013, Ohio received a D+ rating in terms of state government transparency in spending.

“We believe that grade was a little too generous,” said Rep. Jonathan Dever, R-Cincinnati.

Dever has partnered with Rep. Mike Dovilla, R-Berea, to sponsor a bill that would require the state treasurer to establish the Ohio State Government Expenditure Database.

The proposed legislation, House Bill 46, is a reintroduction of House Bill 175 from the 130th General Assembly.

That measure, which was championed by Dovilla, made it out of the House in an 85-7 vote and had two hearings before the Senate State Government Oversight and Reform Committee.

In October 2012, Dovilla said he received a constituent request to investigate transparency in state spending.

“When I began my review, I was under the impression that Ohio did an adequate job informing the taxpayers of our state about how their money was being spent. However, I quickly learned that our previous attempts at transparency in state spending did not offer much clarity and it certainly was not easy for individuals to search state expenditures,” he said.

HB 46, also known as “Open Ohio,” would require the treasurer to establish and maintain an expenditure database available to members of the public without charge.

The database would have to be accessible from the treasurer of state’s website and must include information about expenditures state entities made in each fiscal year that commences after the bill’s effective date.

An “expenditure” is a payment, distribution, loan, advance, reimbursement, deposit or gift of money from a state entity to any vendor that is processed through the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System or OAKS.

According to a bill summary, state entities would be required to assist the treasurer in the development, establishment, operation, storage, hosting and support of the database at no cost to the treasurer’s office.

At least monthly, HB 46 states that each entity would have to provide information to the treasurer for inclusion in the database regarding each of the agency’s expenditures paid to a vendor for the preceding month.

State entities would be required to comply with all of the bill’s requirements using existing resources.

No agency would be authorized to charge the treasurer for any costs arising from compliance with the bill.

The proposed legislation defines a “state entity” as the General Assembly, Supreme Court of Ohio, Court of Claims, office of an elected state officer, or a department, bureau, board, office, commission, agency, institution, instrumentality or other governmental entity of the state established by the Ohio Constitution or state law.

The definition excludes a county, city, village, township, park district, school district, regional transit authority, institution of higher education, the Public Employees Retirement System, the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund, the State Teachers Retirement System, the School Employees Retirement System, the State Highway Patrol Retirement System, the city of Cincinnati Retirement System and the nonprofit corporation known as JobsOhio or any subsidiary of JobsOhio.

“Our taxpayers deserve to know what their money is being spent on and where their money is being spent,” Dever said.

“Our taxpayers deserve to know we are committed to advancing efficient, effective state government that respects them. Quite simply, our taxpayers deserve better. And one of the best ways to accomplish this objective is to allow Ohioans to help us root out government waste, fraud and abuse.”

Using existing authority, in December 2014, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel launched www.ohiocheckbook.com, an easily accessible, searchable database.

“The new website, arguably the best of its kind in the nation, reflects the intent of this legislation, but it could readily be taken down by a future treasurer of state,” Dever said, adding that the bill’s provisions would ensure that future treasurers, regardless of political affiliation or commitment to transparency, would maintain the database.

“It is our belief that “Open Ohio” will provide our constituents with the ability to connect with state government and provide citizen oversight of direct government spending which has never been possible.”

HB 46 is co-sponsored by 20 lawmakers.

The bill is before the House State Government Committee.

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