Events Calendar
In This Section
Falls approves sale of former plaza site
Group recommends merging Akron, Summit County health agencies
Jewell Cardwell: LeBron fans cooking up fundraiser
Citizens and public officials question wetlands proposal in Lake Township
Canton school board won't seek operating levy
Downtown Akron restaurants serve up 79,000 pounds of cardboard for recycling
Most Read Stories
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Police say couple had 50 stolen hubcaps
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Zips favored on road against MAC West leader
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Five local gridders to play in Big33
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Tired of secrecy claims, Plusquellic orders data to be available always
By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Nov 12, 2009
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic is hoping to employ the power of the World Wide Web to solve some of the city's and his image problems.
Plusquellic said Wednesday the city is launching a new financial information section labeled — Open Books Online — on its Web site.
Plusquellic said much of the financial data had been available on various sections of the city's http://www.ci.akron.oh.usWeb site.
The new feature puts the information in one place and also allows computer users to access annual, quarterly and monthly data on what the city government spends and what it takes in.
''I'm tired of the insinuations and accusations being thrown around that we're hiding information,'' Plusquellic said. ''Most of the information already was available, but now it's all consolidated into one place and people will be able to find it easier.''
The mayor said this also should silence critics who say the city is not willing to share such information.
''We have nothing to hide. All of our financial information will be available at the touch of a computer,'' he said. ''We are making absolutely certain that no one can say we aren't providing information.''
Plusquellic said the new data will include daily posting of tax payments, historical tax information going back five years, local government funds provided by the state of Ohio and property tax reports provided by Summit County.
Plusquellic pointed out that income tax revenue as of the end of September was $5.6 million behind where it was at the same time last year.
Akron laid off 91 employees, including 38 firefighters, last month and cut several popular programs to address a projected budget shortfall of as much as $8 million by the end of the year.
Spokesman Mark Williamson said the daily income tax postings will be one day behind the actual payment due to processing the information.
Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic is hoping to employ the power of the World Wide Web to solve some of the city's and his image problems.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
akron, oh
Posted 07:29 AM, 11/12/2009
This is a nice gesture, but any good accountant can tell you that they can make the books look anyway they wish them to look , while at the same time doing things legally and without fraud.
The Beacon recently had an aritcle about the city's finances, where they showed us how the city juggles some of their finances.
I see this announcement as a smoke screen by the mayor, in lieu of the upcoming or current contract negotiations with it's unions.
akron, oh
Posted 08:21 AM, 11/12/2009
So now it is "as much a 8 million dollar shortfall"? What happened to the 12 million dollar figure the City was throwing around 3 months ago?
Also the City is touting its new daily tax updates are only going to be 1 day behind. Why then is the Beacon using data that only extends through the End of September?
I wonder if the Beacon will even print anything that has do with the layoff hearings scheduled to kick of in 15mins or so?
Akron, OH
Posted 08:31 AM, 11/12/2009
@jimdandy - I agree 100% When we can see every General Ledger account with a PDF image of all docuemnts for the transactions, then I'll give them credit.
Akron, OH
Posted 08:53 AM, 11/12/2009
Firemen laid off and the city is spending money on Young's Restaurant! PRIORITIES, Il Duce Don!
Demolition Falls, OH
Posted 09:42 AM, 11/12/2009
Caveat calculator!
akron, oh
Posted 09:46 AM, 11/12/2009
I am willing to guess that most people don't have the education/understanding to make accurate decisions based on these figures.
At what point did the defecit go from 12 million to 8 million dollars as an upper limit?
How much does the City say they save by laying fireman compared to the real figure?
If the shortfall is 8 million dollars max currently, the decision to layoff was based on 12 million max, what does that mean as far as people returning to work?
The City by their own statements will save 10 million bt the VSP's, 1.9 million from the C.O.P.S grant and millions more from other issues (saving from trash pick-up). Those savings would seem to be more than the projected deficit going into next year, what does the have to say about this?
The Mayor was not at Akron's Firefighter Memorial because he was in Washington attempting to secure funds/info on SAFER, federal monies for firefighters, the requirements have been out for a week, how is the grant going?
Will the Beacon report on the Layoff hearings occuring right this minute?
Akron, OH
Posted 12:51 PM, 11/12/2009
=====================
"I'm tired of the insinuations and accusations being thrown around that we're hiding information," Plusquellic said.
"Most of the information already was available, but now it's all consolidated into one place and people will be able to find it easier."
=====================
Isn't it amazing that Plusquellic & Co. are more than happy to post DAILY updates on tax dollars COMING IN to the City's treasury, yet the most detailed information concerning EXPENSES is a QUARTERLY update of 16 department's TOTAL spending.
"Open Books" my arse!
P.S.
Why did the "Office of the Mayor" get a $181,578 increase in the original 2009 Akron City Budget (adopted March 9, 2009) above the actual 2008 spending, then (after the 'crisis' was identified and 'cutbacks' for everyone else were announced) got an additional $81,799 increase in the "revised" 2009 Akron City budget???
