INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosiers searching for myriad state budgeting and financial information now have a one-stop online option.
Auditor Tim Berry unveiled the new site Tuesday at www.transparency.in.gov.
“It’s vital for taxpayers to not only have a government that is accountable but a government that is transparent,” he said. “It’s not the state’s money. It’s taxpayers’ money.”
Most of the information gathered at the site already existed in various locations on the state’s website.
But now it is all collected in one place.
Some of the existing information that has been moved to the transparency site includes the state’s contract database from the Indiana Department of Administration and revenue collection reports from the State Budget Agency. There are also delinquent taxpayer database from the Department of Revenue and minutes from various budget and finance meetings.
There also are new features, including a searchable database of state employee salaries that will be updated weekly.
Berry said a number of local government annual financial reports are online that previously weren’t.
Features are still being added. This year, a tool will debut allowing users to see state spending for goods and services, including specific program expenditures by agency.
Berry said legislation authorizing a similar transparency website failed in the House the past two years. That’s why he – in conjunction with Gov. Mitch Daniels’ administration – decided to create a site.
But he thinks the General Assembly should pass a law putting the practice into statute so that the information is maintained in the future.
Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, applauded the new site, even if it means his salary is available to for public viewing.
“I think it’s terrific,” he said. “Anything like this is an improvement.”
But Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, downplayed the website, saying the administration still hasn’t released full details of budget cuts.
“This is just new packaging of the same old stuff,” she said.
“This is why the Senate Democrats are proposing more than a website. There needs to be a change in culture.”
Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette contributed to this story.
