header

Taylor Launches New Web Site for Auditor’s Office

New Reports to Help Improve Transparency in Government Spending

Monday, July 16, 2007

Columbus -

In an ongoing effort to increase transparency and accountability in state and local government spending, State Auditor Mary Taylor is making additional information related to the audit process available to the public over the Internet.  The Auditor’s Office Web site, which has been redesigned to include the additional content, expanded services and new functionalities, can be found at www.auditor.state.oh.us.

“As the chief watchdog of government spending, I think it’s important to keep Ohioans informed about how their taxpayer dollars are being spent,” Taylor said.  “A great way to do that is through our Web site.  We’re keeping track of any misspending and other record keeping problems identified by our audits and will post this information on our new site.  This will help to increase transparency and restore the public’s trust in government while holding public officials accountable. We hope the new site will be a valuable resource to citizens of Ohio, members of the media and the thousands of clients that we serve every year through the Auditor’s Office.” 

New or expanded services featured on the home page that will be regularly updated include:
• List of entities that have misspent or illegally spent public funds since Taylor has taken office
• List of agencies that could not provide the necessary documents to complete an audit and have been declared “unauditable” by the Auditor’s Office     
• Most recent, high-profile audits

Other important information or services offered by the Auditor’s Office that are prominently located on the site include:
• New Issues section featuring key priorities for Auditor Taylor including Medicaid reform, government accountability and charter school oversight
• Re-designed Open Government Unit section featuring the latest information on public records and training services
• New Special Investigations Unit section where Ohioans can continue to submit an online form to report fraud or the misspending of public funds
• News Center with the most up-to-date and archived press releases

Since January 8, 2007, the Auditor’s Office has released more than 1,900 audits identifying more than $2.4 million in illegal spending or misspending of public funds.  The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in government spending.              
                                                                 #####