What's Happening in Stow, OH…

Stow has decided to follow the lead of Ohio's treasurer, Josh Mandel, and put the city's checkbook in the public domain.

Mandel last year kicked off his “Transparency Project”, which is designed to let Ohio citizens see precisely how the state spends their money. Mandel says the idea is to show citizens what the real costs are of governing, so taxpayers and those they elect to represent them can make more informed, better researched decisions on the way Ohio uses the revenues it collects.

Now, Stow has joined the parade, and is putting its financial information online. The program will allow members of the public, including Stow residents, to see all of the governmental spending by the city. According to plans, the transparency will eventually be available state-wide, so that residents can see what other cities and towns are spending. The information will be on the treasurer's website, and providing the data won't cost Stow anything.

In addition to revealing the state's spending, the treasurer's office has also put up a database showing government employees' salaries, an interactive map of state property, the investment reports for Ohio counties, and a daily ledger reporting on the state's finances.

Stow officials might want to work with a postcard printing company to create a card to mail to residents, inviting them to access the information.