Salem, Ore. – Oregon’s Secretary of State said tax payers have a right to know how their money is being spent. That’s why he’s implementing an “open checkbook” policy.
Sec. Dennis Richardson said his office will release a detailed list of how his agency spends every dollar. He’s hoping it will encourage other state and local agencies to do the same.
“Oregon government spending data is currently available to the public, but critical information is frequently obscured through inadequate detail and unnecessary delays before disclosure,” Sec. Richardson wrote in a press release. “How public dollars are spent should not be a secret, and it should not take a lengthy public records request to obtain the information.”
Sec. Richardson said Oregon’s lack of transparency has contributed to hundreds of millions of wasted tax dollars and poorly run government projects, including the failed Cover Oregon project.
Richardson points out the Oregon Transparency website posts some financial information, but the data is often incomplete, outdated, and difficult to understand.
The agency’s “checkbook” will be updated in the middle of each month.
You can read more here: https://data.oregon.gov/browse?q=secretaryofstatefinancial
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