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Bill would create statewide 'checkbook' website showing local and state spending
Summary
Sponsors presented House Bill 413 to require a single public database that consolidates expenditures and revenues from political subdivisions and state retirement systems, aiming to make it easier for Ohioans to see how tax dollars are spent; sponsors acknowledged implementation challenges for small local governments.
Representatives Young and Peterson presented House Bill 413 at a first hearing of the Ohio House Technology and Innovation Committee, proposing a statewide public database that would consolidate expenditures and revenues from counties, cities, townships, school districts, libraries, park districts and other political subdivisions that receive state dollars.
"It creates a public database showing expenditures and revenues of all political subdivisions... that receives a state dollar," Representative Young said in sponsor testimony, adding that the measure is intended to give taxpayers one place to see how public dollars are spent.
Sponsors said the bill would also require participation by state retirement systems and greater transparency on Ohio Department of Transportation grants and loans. Representative Peterson said the bill aims to centralize data that is already public but currently scattered across many different systems.
Committee members pressed sponsors on technical and compliance questions. Representative White asked about requiring state retirement systems to participate; sponsors said retirement systems already publish some information and that the bill leaves formatting and detail thresholds to rules the treasurer would set. Representative Ferguson asked about timelines and enforcement; sponsors suggested a reasonable compliance window, possibly one budget cycle, and said the state treasurer would be positioned to assist smaller entities and coordinate the transition.
Sponsors acknowledged participation and formatting challenges for small townships and villages and said the Treasurer of State has expressed willingness to help make data integration cost-effective. Representative Young said about 26% participation currently exists in the voluntary system and named a figure of 3,420 municipalities, villages, townships, counties and special taxing districts when describing the entities that could be included.
No action was taken; the bill received proponent testimony and committee members indicated further testimony and technical work would follow.
