SLBJ Endorses Wiemann’s Bill

St. Louis Business Journal endorsed Rep. John Wiemann’s HB 2242 to put municipal financial information on a public website.

From the editorial: Here’s a basic tenet of good government: If you spend taxpayer money, you should be able to account for it. Yet so many Missouri city officials won’t. Of 152 cities contacted by the Business Journal and Show-Me Institute, only 47 said they’d provide information about five years of payments for free. The city of Battlefield tried to charge us $35,101. Northwoods, in north St. Louis County, was essentially unreachable… Fortunately, state government can force the hand of its subdivisions. Legislators should pass, and Gov. Eric Greitens should sign, John Wiemann’s bill, which would establish the "Missouri Municipality Government Expenditure Database." It would include the amounts spent in each fiscal year beginning on or after June 1, 2019.  Cities that don’t comply with the Missouri bill could be fined $100 a day…

Originally in February 1 MOScout.