COLUMBIA (WACH) -- Since 2008 taxpayers across South Carolina have had online access to details about how state and local government is spending your money using a website created by Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom.
Eckstrom's spending transparency website lists financial records for all state agencies, some local governments and 83 of 85 school districts.
“We have taken on considerably more than we are required to in creating the website and we have served as a resource,” says Eckstrom.
The launch of Eckstrom's transparency initiative three years ago prompted a wave of media coverage during which former Columbia Mayor Bob Coble committed the city to posting its finances online in April 2009. After nearly a year of delays the city posted its first monthly "Truth in Spending" report online in February 2010.
But now that the headlines have faded it seems so has the frequency of government updates.
As of Monday, the last monthly report on the Columbia website was for May -- two months out of date.
Local teacher, and former candidate for Superintendent of Education, Kelly Payne says the out-of-date information is part of a larger problem of governments not following through on their transparency pledges.
According to Payne, 15 school districts that used to post spending reports online now have broken links on the comptroller's website and three districts are not listed at all.
“It is about following through once you create an opportunity to disclose spending, and that just has not been done,” Payne said.
Payne, who previously had a reported personal relationship with Eckstrom, says a condition included as part of the state budget requires the comptroller general's office to establish and maintain a monthly check register for districts that do not have their own websites. In her opinon, the sites aren't being updated like they should be.
Eckstrom's office says the criticism is unfounded.
“We have a staff of one, actually less than one who maintains this website,” says Eckstrom. “We just don't have the resources to go out and do any policing. Those responsibilities have not been assigned to our office.”
Eckstrom says his office checks for errors every two weeks and some of the current broken links may be due to school districts changing their websites over the summer.
The website is expanding though. Last week, Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law a bill requiring colleges to also publish their transactions online.
To see how your money is being spent, click here.
WACH Fox News will stay on top of this story and give you an update on whether the broken links and out-of-date information is updated. If it isn't updated promptly we'll ask those officials why not.
Are you surprised at the news some government spending records posted online are not current and/or missing? Do you think public officials are genuinely commited to transparency or went along with it due to attention from the media and public? As always, leave a comment and let us know what you think.
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