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Show Me The Money

By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: March 18, 2009

Unless you had plenty of spare hours to sit at a computer and access hard-to-find Web sites, it could be a daunting task to find out how much money the state of Florida gives out to local government.
Even more challenging is fine-tuning your Internet search to specific county departments and certain state vendors.
Not anymore.
All that information is now a couple mouse clicks away in one easy-to-find location.
The state this week launched a new Web site that allows people to track how Florida spends taxpayer dollars.
For example, a search on the vendor list for Hernando County shows the sheriff's office received $92,338 from the state in fiscal year 2008, with $72,338 coming from the Department of Children & Families.
Hernando County Fire Rescue received $40,830, with the Department of Community Affairs kicking in $29,236.
Even the minutest purchases are listed on the Sunshine Spending Web site.
That $1.62 payment from the Florida Courts System that went to the Hernando County Clerk of the Circuit Court? It's on there.
The whole idea behind the Web site is to make state and local government more accessible to the public.
"Now more than ever, as Florida faces historic economic challenges, the people of Florida need to know that state agencies are investing their hard-earned taxpayer dollars responsibly," Gov. Charlie Crist said in a statement. "The Sunshine Spending Web site is a great first step that will help citizens hold state government accountable."
On Sunshine Spending, citizens can access:
Payment totals to a vendor beginning with fiscal year 2004-05. Information for the current fiscal year is updated nightly.
Detailed information about each payment, including the requesting state agency, the phone number for the agency's finance and accounting contact person and document numbers related to the payment to assist with further requests for public records.
"I am pleased that Floridians will be able to know exactly who is spending and who is getting their tax dollars, and glad we were able to provide this transparent step at no extra cost to Floridians," Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said in a prepared statement.
For more information about the Sunshine Spending Web site, visit: www.flgov.com/sunshinespending or www.MyFloridaCFO.com/SunshineSpending.