Taylor Launches Stimulus Watch

State Auditor Mary Taylor wants everyone to know she's watching over the Federal Stimulus dollars destined for local projects and programs.  The AOS has launched a basic reporting portal on the web to be used by local governments to report some basic information on how ARRA dollars are being spent.  The technical bulletin (2009-005) describing the MARY TAYLOR'S FEDERAL STIMULUS TRACKER!!! is here.

The website has a secure portal for reporting stimulus spending at the local level where users are greeted with the following admonisment from Taylor:

As Auditor of the State of Ohio, I am committed to a high level of transparency and accountability over all public funds in the state.  Therefore, as part of our responsibility in completing Single Audits over federal funds, the AOS will be collecting information on the federal stimulus dollars received in Ohio.  All state and local government agencies will be required to report any ARRA dollars they receive and the expenditure of those funds.

The front end of the site is being maintained for public consumption and promises to eventually provide how stimulus dollars are being spent state-wide. 

More transparency and accountability aimed at any use of taxpayer money is always a net benefit in my humble opinion.  I'm fine with any additional avenues of tracking ARRA dollars being offered to the public by the AOS.  What is curious to me is the way Taylor's office is linking the new reporting requirement to the single audit process. 

Cities and counties receive federal and state grant dollars every year.  Maintaining records of how those dollars are spent has always been required in order to pass single audit muster.  Of course the anticipated scale and speed of how the ARRA dollars will pass though to the local level is unprecedented this year. Taylor is going even further by planning to have interim audits of above and beyond the normal annual audit process.

I don't blame Taylor for wanting to be in the mix when it comes to joining the effort to monitor federal recovery dollars.  As State Auditor and lone Republican in the mix of State officers she has an important role in being the overseer of these resources.  This being said, I can't shake the feeling that this Stimulus Tracker is a bit gimmicky.  Color me skeptical.

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