Over the past year, Ohio Treasurer of State Josh Mandel has made significant strides in transparency, moving Ohio to the top spot in the rankings put out by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

In a time where a lack of transparency exists from governmental agencies and elected officials, this is a good sign of improvement that many others can use as a model for their own agencies and offices.

The substantial improvement vaulted Ohio from 46th in the nation to the top spot, most notably because of the treasurer’s development of a website that allows all residents the ability to see expenditures for the state.

According to the rankings released from the U.S. PIRG, this was the first time since its inception that a state received a score of 100.

We applaud the efforts of Mandel for launching this website and being a leader that other states can follow when it relates to the spending of taxpayers money.

Residents should always have the ability to easily research and track spending of those who have been elected to lead our communities, states and nation.

Mandel has set Ohio on the right track and is leading the pack in the right direction.

To check out the website, visit OhioCheckbook.com.