After passing transparency legislation in 2008, the state of Arizona finally launched its state spending portal this week that gives taxpayers insight into where their money is going. Arizona OpenBooks is a searchable website that provides information on the size and beneficiaries of funds appropriated by the state. Other data featured on the new site include state expenses, sources of state revenue, and the budgets of some independent governmental agencies.
OpenBooks advocates are optimistic about the potential impact of a state budget transparency website on fiscal responsibility in the Arizona government, and they have good reason to be. An article in the Arizona Capitol Times was quick to point out that transparency is not only a good end in and of itself; it is also a tool to realize significant savings. This has been true in several states that have pursued transparency reform, such as Texas where Comptroller Susan Combs has pointed to almost $9 million in savings wrought by her state transparency portal.
While OpenBooks is a timely, much-needed transparency mechanism, the new website is in need of some improvements. Information regarding government contracts and state subsidies are difficult to track, as it is located on an entirely different site. Furthermore, while the amount of money the state is spending is now visible to Arizona taxpayers, those who search OpenBooks will not find details about individual purchases. Knowing state spending figures in addition to where Arizona tax dollars are going will go a long way to prevent fraud and improve government efficiency.
With state and federal government spending figures at an all-time high, prioritizing fiscal transparency and accountability has perhaps never been as critically important as it is now. What’s more, Arizona passed a bill last year that would require local spending to be disclosed as well – the deadline for implementation is at the end of January so we are looking forward to data being revealed!
Loading ...
