For Immediate Release:
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Gov.
Schwarzenegger Furthers Commitment to Government
Transparency
Web site to Post State Contracts, Audits of State
Agencies
Furthering the Governor’s commitment to government
transparency, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed Executive Order
S-08-09 and launched a new component to the Reporting Government Transparency
Web site at www.reportingtransparency.ca.gov
that will require all state contracts valued at $5,000 or more to be posted
online. The Web site will also list both the internal and external audits
of state departments and agencies, including information on operations, budget
and programs, dating back to January 1, 2008. This executive order mandates
that all state departments within the executive branch comply with the posting
effort which is being facilitated by California’s Chief Information Officer Teri
Takai.
“The people of California have a right to know what they are
getting for their money,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “In this time of deep
recession, it is more critical than ever that state government operates
efficiently and is accountable to the people. That is why I am furthering my
commitment to transparency and identifying waste today by ordering all state
agencies and department to post the audits we do every year online in one
easy-to-find place. This is one more step to make state government more
accountable and to give the people the power to know how their tax dollars are
being spent.”
Starting June 19, summary information on all state contracts reported to the Department of
General Services will be posted on the Web
site within five working days, dating back to
March 2009. Starting on June 12, internal
financial, operational, compliance and performance audits done by
departments will be posted on the Web
site dating back to January 1,
2008. Audits performed by outside entities such as the Bureau of State
Audits, the State Controller’s Office, the Department of Finance and the
Department of General Services will also be posted dating back to January 1,
2008.
Coordinating the effort is the
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) which has established the
Web site
and is working with state departments and agencies to comply. The OCIO is
responsible for coordinating with state departments and agencies on statewide
information technology (IT) projects. On May 10, the Governor’s IT
Reorganization Plan went into effect to consolidate statewide IT functions,
including the Department of Technology Services, under the leadership of the
OCIO. The reorganization will create more accountability and provide a
framework to enhance IT programs throughout the
state.
In April, Governor Schwarzenegger launched the Web site
to make publicly available the statement of economic interests, Form 700s and
the travel expense claims for the Governor’s office senior staff and deputies,
agency secretaries, agency undersecretaries and department
directors.
In addition to launching www.reportingtransparency.ca.gov,
Governor Schwarzenegger has taken these additional actions to ensure government
transparency and accountability:
Full text of
executive order:
EXECUTIVE ORDER
S-08-09
WHEREAS transparency is
fundamental to promoting efficiency and effectiveness in government and
strengthening the democratic process by giving citizens enough information to
reach their own conclusions about how their tax dollars are being spent; and
WHEREAS audits of government
departments and agencies and their operations can provide objective and
measureable performance reviews and identify and correct inefficient or wasteful
practices; and
WHEREAS consumers seeking
information on government operations are often frustrated because myriad
oversight entities perform audits of departments and agencies, but the
information is difficult to access easily due to the lack of a web-based,
central inventory of audits organized on a department-by-department or
agency-by-agency basis; and
WHEREAS many internal audits
that departments and agencies perform on their own operations are finalized but
never made public; and
WHEREAS billions of dollars
in state contracts are entered into each year in California to purchase goods
and services on behalf of the people, and posting contracts on-line is an
effective way to help ensure that taxpayers are getting the best value and
services are being provided in an efficient manner; and
WHEREAS my administration has been committed to promoting openness
in government; and
WHEREAS in March 2009, I
directed that the statements of economic interest of my staff and top
administration officials be posted to a new Reporting Government Transparency
web site and directed that the travel and expense form reports of top
administration officials be posted on-line; and
WHEREAS in April 2009, I
appointed former Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick to act as watchdog and
Inspector General of the state’s spending of American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act funds; and
WHEREAS continuing the
commitment to increasing transparency in government is critical at a time when
the global recession has deepened and California's economy continues to
struggle, causing the state budget for fiscal year 2009-10 to fall out of
balance by an estimated $24.3 billion.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the
State of California, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the
Constitution and statutes of the State of California, do hereby issue this Order
to become effective immediately:
1. With the
assistance of the Office of the Chief Information Officer, agencies and
departments on June 4, 2009, shall post to the Reporting Government Transparency
web site audits of their operations dating back to January 1, 2008, performed by
outside entities such as the
Bureau of State
Audits, State Controller, the Department of Finance, or a federal agency with
oversight responsibility of their operations. Agency and department web
pages shall provide easy access to audits of their operations. Departments
and agencies shall post future audits to the Reporting Government Transparency
web site within 5 working days of finalization.
2. Starting June 12,
2009, financial and programmatic audits that agencies and departments have done
on their own operations and audits that they have performed on other government
entities dating back to January 1, 2008, shall be posted to the Reporting
Government Transparency web site. Departments and agencies shall post
future audits to the Reporting Government Transparency web site within 5 working
days of finalization.
3. Starting June 19,
2009, the Department of General Services and the Office of the Chief Information
Officer shall ensure that all awarded contracts valued at $5,000 or more dating
to March 2009, shall be placed on the Reporting Government Transparency web
site. All new contracts shall be posted within 5 working days of signing
by all parties.
4. Nothing in this Order
shall be construed as requiring the posting of audits or contracts where such
posting would (a) violate federal or state laws; (b) result in the unauthorized
waiver of privileges, such as the attorney-client, attorney work product or
deliberative process privileges; or (c) result in the unauthorized waiver of
exemptions from disclosure under the California Public Records
Act.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the agencies
and departments under my direct executive authority shall cooperate in the
implementation of this Order.
This Order is not intended to, and does not, create any rights or benefits,
substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the State of
California, its agencies, departments, officers, employees, or any other entity
or person.
I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as
hereafter possible, this Order be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State
and that widespread publicity and notice be given to this
Order.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set
my
hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of
California to be affixed this 4th day of June
2009.
________________________________
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER
Governor of California
ATTEST:
________________________________
DEBRA BOWEN
Secretary of State
###