Increasing government

transparency at the local level

By Richard Eckstrom

A few months ago my office unveiled the state’s first spending transparency Web site for state government. Visitors to the Web site can find detailed spending information for more than 80 state agencies.

Think of this as a sort of online check register. Visitors can see, for example, that in December the Election Commission made seven purchases of office supplies that totaled $3,757, and in October the Department of Mental Health made 45 purchases of copying equipment supplies that totaled $30,183. The Web site, arranged by agency, shows the date and amount of each purchase, the vendor who was paid, and the source of money used for each purchase.

Initially, state agencies were reluctant to provide this information, arguing that gathering it would be too costly. So my staff and I compiled this information and posted it on the Web ourselves. We were surprised to discover that the process wasn’t difficult or expensive. We did this without hiring additional staff and at a relatively low cost.

We’ve also been pleasantly surprised at the level of public interest in our spending transparency Web site. Since its inception, the site has far exceeded 50,000 visits. (In the first month it was available, it had nearly 10,000 visits!)

This spending transparency site has put South Carolina at the forefront of a national transparency movement; several states have contacted us seeking advice, hoping to duplicate our efforts. (We’re one of just a few states to make state spending so easily available to the public.)

In recent months, we’ve expanded the scope of our transparency efforts. We’re now working with local governments -- counties, municipalities and school districts -- to encourage them to voluntarily post their spending details on the Internet. We’re offering to assist any local governments that need help, answer questions they might have and, if necessary, host the information on our own site.

In addition, we’re explaining to local governments the benefits of making this information easily available to anyone via the Internet. Not only is it good government -- increased transparency would ultimately help rebuild trust in government and provide better information to the public -- but there are tangible benefits as well. Providing spending detail on the Internet is likely to greatly reduce the number of written requests for this information, which in turn will greatly reduce staff time and copying costs associated with responding to written requests for information by the public and the media.

Of course, any effort to bring additional sunlight to government is going to meet with some resistance, and our efforts are certainly no exception. Arguments I’ve heard against putting spending details on the Internet include complaints ranging from the cost of gathering the information to what some perceive as a lack of public interest or understanding. In meeting with local governments, I’ve been working to dispel these notions.

But there’s an even more basic reason local governments should disclose the details of their spending on the Internet: It’s not their money they’re spending. It’s your money. You have an absolute right to know how government is spending your money, and you should be provided easy, no-cost access to the details. Period.