HARTFORD — Greenwich State Representatives Livvy Floren, Lile Gibbons and Fred Camillo were among lawmakers Monday who supported a proposal (H.B. 5163) that would see the state’s nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis build a searchable, Web-based database containing information related to the state budget.
“At a time when residents find themselves scrutinizing every dollar their government spends, the legislature should make available to citizens the details making up the budget,” Rep. Lile Gibbons said.
The goal, Gibbons said, “is transparency.”
“People in this state, no matter the community, have struggled through the worst fiscal crisis most of us have ever seen,” said Rep. Camillo, who attended a conference in Washington, D.C. that focused on this very topic of transparency. “In many cases they’ve made the most difficult financial choices of their lives, so I can’t blame anyone for wanting to know what happens to a big part of their paychecks. This measure is a proven winner, for both the citizen and the government.”
What’s more, Williams contends the Web database would not only provide valuable data to concerned citizens but also help debunk incorrect information that often ends up in the hands of residents.
This is one of those rare instances where the legislature is giving the people it represents more power. In my opinion, that’s a very good thing,” Rep. Floren added. The proposal requires the Office of Fiscal Analysis to have the system up and running by July 2011.
The legislation moves to the State Senate for consideration.
