State's quasi-public agencies told to be more open
All of the state's quasi-public agencies are being asked to provide detailed financial data to improve the transparency of their operations.
Comptroller Kevin Lembo said in a letter sent out this week to agency leaders that "checkbook-level" financial records should be voluntarily made available to his office for inclusion on the state's OpenConnecticut website.
He added that such agencies, which rely on both public and private funding, are set apart from other governmental bodies that rely solely on state tax dollars, but still should strive to be "as transparent as possible."
"It is now considered best practice to provide checkbook level transparency data for quasi-public institutions on state transparency websites — and doing so will allow Connecticut to retain its position as a leader in government transparency efforts and will help to maintain the public's confidence in government operations," Lembo said in a statement.
Connecticut was at the forefront of state transparency efforts, launching OpenConnecticut three years ago.
Last year, the transparency website received an "A" grade from a federal rating agency, one of only eight states to win plaudits for superior efforts. Other states have since moved to improve their transparency, Lembo noted.
“Quasi-public agencies are responsible for running the state’s health care exchange, operating our state-owned airports, incentivizing clean energy solutions, promoting economic development, maintaining waste disposal, providing financing for low-income housing and health and education institutions and distributing loans,” Lembo said.
Proprietary information will not be disclosed on any website, he noted.
The agencies receiving notice included Connecticut Innovations, Connecticut Student Loan Foundation, Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, Connecticut Lottery Corp., Connecticut Airport Authority, Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, Connecticut Green Bank and the Connecticut Port Authority.
l.howard@theday.com
Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow
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