CHARLESTON — With the state on the eve of one of the largest highway spending programs in state history, the West Virginia Auditor’s office is nearing the launch of new programs on its website — wvsao.gov — that will give all residents the ability to monitor that state spending.
West Virginia Auditor J.B. McCuskey said the website and new programs allow his office to meet its obligation to ensure such public information is available to all residents.
“The enemy of any Democracy is an uneducated electorate” is one of McCuskey’s favorite statements.
Since being elected, the auditor has spent time during the first year improving the public’s access to government spending information through his office.
“Part of the auditor’s job, in my opinion, and it is part of my duty to ensure that every citizen has access to how their money is being spent. The money that comes into the Capitol is never the government’s money. It’s always the people’s money,” McCuskey said. “What we have undertaken is to establish the best public transparency website in the country. I believe we have accomplished that. We’re going to be rolling that out to the public within the next three weeks.”
West Virginia citizens will be able to go the website and, in a Google search-like environment, track government spending in almost real time, McCuskey said. Citizens with questions about that spending will also find contact information for state agencies. The website will also allow citizens to run reports and charts and work with legislators on spending plans.
