COLUMBUS – Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel announced the launch of Christiansburg’s and North Lewisburg’s online checkbooks on OhioCheckbook.com. In December 2014, Mandel launched OhioCheckbook.com, which sets a national standard for government transparency and for the first time in Ohio puts all state spending information on the internet. OhioCheckbook.com recently earned Ohio the number one government transparency ranking in the country for the second year in a row.
Christiansburg and North Lewisburg are the third and fourth villages in Champaign County to post their spending on OhioCheckbook.com.
Christiansburg’s online checkbook includes over 3,600 individual transactions that represent more than $2 million total spending over the past five years. North Lewisburg’s checkbook includes over 6,800 individual transactions that represent more than $4.6 million of total spending over the past five years.
“We are proud to post our checkbook online to benefit the citizenry by allowing them access to our expenditures,” said Christiansburg Mayor Charles Lyons III. “They will be able to see not only where the money goes but also how much we are spending.”
“The village of North Lewisburg’s mayor and council are pleased to partner with OhioCheckbook.com, which will provide online availability of the village finances to our residents,” said North Lewisburg Mayor Cheryl Hollingsworth.
On April 7, 2015 Treasurer Mandel sent a letter to 18,062 local government and school officials representing 3,962 local governments throughout the state calling on them to place their checkbook level data on OhioCheckbook.com and extending an invitation to partner with his office at no cost to local governments. These local governments include cities, counties, townships, schools, library districts and other special districts.
A large coalition of statewide and local government organizations have expressed support for OhioCheckbook.com and local government transparency, including:
· Ohio Municipal League
· Ohio Township Association
· Ohio Association of School Business Officials
· Buckeye Association of School Administrators
· County Commissioner Association of Ohio
· County Auditor Association of Ohio
· Ohio Newspaper Association
· Ohio Society of CPAs
· Buckeye Institute
· Common Cause Ohio
