Solon Joins Financial Transparency Website

SOLON, OH — The city has joined the Ohio Treasurer's Open Checkbook system, which allows residents to see how their local government spends money. Based off the numbers presented on the system, new Mayor Ed Kraus is decreasing general administration spending to the lowest level in at least three years.

"City of Solon officials place a high value on the need to be transparent and accountable for the public dollars we are entrusted to spend on the behalf of our residents," the city said on in a post on its website.

The city is decreased its spending to $15,275,326 on general administration costs in 2017. That's down from more than $24 million in 2016 and $17 million in 2015.

"Open Checkbook will add a degree of transparency and detail to our financial information that is not provided by our current report offerings. We look forward to making Open Checkbook a regular component of the City’s ongoing obligation to routinely and openly present how tax dollars are being spent," the city said on its website.

And indeed, spending has decreased across most of the board between 2016 and 2017. Solon spent less on police, less on planning and less on general administration. The city increased its spending on fire, water reclamation, and recreation.

More details on the city's budgets from the past three years can be found by clicking here.

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