EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 2007-14


WHEREAS, this Administration believes that South Carolinians are entitled to full and complete information regarding how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent by state government and they should have easy access to that information; and

WHEREAS, bringing transparency into state government spending will lead to more accountability for the taxpayers of South Carolina and would allow the State to benefit from increased competition because potential state contractors could easily review the relevant aspects of existing state contracts; and

WHEREAS, shining a light on government spending and making that information easily accessible is particularly important for taxpayers today, considering state government spending has increased over $2 billion or 43 percent in the past four years; and

WHEREAS, our State has a remarkable $18 billion in outstanding debt tied to retirement benefits, and currently has the greatest amount of state debt per person in the Southeast, further creating a need to be more cautious of how every state dollar is spent; and

WHEREAS, state government will grow by 15 percent in FY 2007-08 which far exceeds the growth rate of population plus inflation at 5.5 percent or the growth rate of South Carolinian’s income at 6.2 percent.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Comptroller General’s Office shall develop and operate a single, searchable website accessible at no cost to the public, which provides information regarding the expenditure of state funds. “Expenditure of state funds” means the expenditure of all appropriated or non-appropriated funds by a state agency in forms including, but not limited to, grants, contracts, and subcontracts.

(1) The Comptroller General’s Office shall require all agencies to report expenditure data to the Comptroller General’s Office to include, but not be limited to:

(a) The amount of funds expended;
(b) The expending agency;
(c) The budget funding source; and
(d) Any other relevant information specified by the Comptroller General’s Office.

(2) The Comptroller General’s Office shall analyze the likelihood of reporting these expenditures on a monthly basis.

(3) The Comptroller General’s Office shall continue to enhance the level of expenditure detail and the efficiency of the website as the South Carolina Enterprise Information System (SCEIS) continues to become implemented by all state agencies.

(4) The completed searchable website must be “on-line” no later than March 1, 2008, for expenditures incurred in the 2006-07 fiscal year. Expenditures incurred in the 2007-08 fiscal year must be available on the searchable website no later than 120 days after the last day of the preceding fiscal year. All agencies of state government shall provide to the Comptroller General’s Office any information requested by that Office that is necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Executive Order.

FURTHER, each cabinet agency must establish a searchable website on its home webpage listing specific agency expenditures.

(1) Each cabinet agency must include on its website the following expenditures set out on a monthly basis:

(a) Travel; including but not limited to, hotel, airline, and meal expenses;
(b) Office supplies costing $100 and over;
(c) Contractual expenses costing $100 and over.

(2) For each of the preceding expenditures, the cabinet agency must list the company or entity to which the expense was paid, the amount of the expense, and the date of the expense. Once fully implemented, each cabinet agency is required to update these expenses on a monthly basis for each fiscal year.

(3) The completed searchable websites for cabinet agencies must also be “on-line” no later than March 1, 2008, for expenditures already incurred in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND AND THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THIS 30th DAY OF AUGUST, 2007.

MARK SANFORD
Governor

This page last updated on Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 4:12 P.M.