Transparency
Making government open so you can see exactly where your money goes
I am a regular guy who believes you and I both deserve to know what is happening with our tax dollars. No secrets. No excuses. As governor, I will make government information easy to find, understand, and use. Right now. Not someday.
Transparent Idaho is already a solid tool run by the State Controller's Office. It shows state spending, payroll, contracts, and more. But it has room to improve. Data has lags, search can be clunky, local government info is spotty, and getting answers through FOIA or tips is not as simple as it should be. This plan fixes that.
We start with immediate upgrades under my authority, then push the legislature for bigger changes to make transparency the default, not an afterthought.
What I Will Do Day One as Governor
Issue an executive order directing all state agencies to work with the State Controller to enhance Transparent Idaho fast.
Add better search tools so you can find payments, contracts, or vendor details in seconds, not hours.
Make payment details clearer with plain English descriptions, breakdowns by program or project, and easy filters.
Build one-click FOIA request options right on the site for faster public records access.
Add an anonymous tip submission form tied to the Citizens Task Forces so anyone can flag waste or issues without fear.
Push agencies to feed more near real time data where possible, reducing unnecessary lags while keeping fraud protections.
These changes use existing systems and tools. No big new spending. Just smarter use of what we have.
What I Will Push the Legislature For
Legislation requiring all local governments (counties, cities, school districts, and others) to fully integrate their spending, budgets, and payroll into Transparent Idaho. One statewide view, not scattered sites.
Laws to shorten data lags safely and expand real time or daily updates for more categories.
Stronger rules for advance public notice of hearings, clearer disclosures on taxes and fees, and better public school spending breakdowns.
How This Differs from What's Happening Today
Today's transparency in Idaho is decent but limited and not always user friendly.
Current setup: Transparent Idaho provides state level data like payroll (updated nightly), transactions (two week lag for fraud prevention), and local budgets or audits (annual or quarterly). Search works but can be basic. FOIA requests go through separate channels with delays. Local governments have their own sites or reports, not fully connected. Anonymous tips exist in some places but not centralized or tied to oversight.
Public polls in 2026 show Idahoans want more: advance hearing notices, clearer spending details, and overall accountability. Problems like Luma system errors showed data issues were not caught or shared fast enough.
My approach: Immediate and practical upgrades from day one. The governor directs agencies to improve the site with better search, clearer details, one click FOIA, and anonymous tips linked to Citizens Task Forces. We push for full local integration and shorter lags through legislation. Citizens get tools to dig in themselves, share findings, and help task forces spot problems. This makes transparency active and ongoing, not just a portal you check once in a while. Regular people get real power to watch and question, with AI like Grok helping analyze what is posted.
In short: Today's system is like a filing cabinet with good stuff but hard to search and missing pieces. This plan turns it into a user-friendly dashboard that is easy for anyone to use, updated faster, and connected statewide so you see the full picture without hunting around.
How We'll Check It Works
We will keep it honest with:
Public dashboards on Transparent Idaho showing data update frequency, search usage, tip resolution rates, and performance metrics.
Regular audits of data accuracy, timeliness, and agency compliance.
Citizens Task Force to review transparency reports, take public input on usability, and recommend improvements.
Yearly report on data lag reductions, tip volume, FOIA response times, and citizen satisfaction.
Everything open for anyone to look at and ask about.
How This Connects to Other Reforms
Transparency is the visibility layer for the entire plan. It makes budget allocations, procurement spending, audit findings, workforce vacancies, grant outcomes, and permitting timelines visible to everyone on Transparent Idaho. Citizen tips from the portal feed into audits and the Citizens Task Forces for review. Accountability relies on transparent data to enforce consequences. The three housing reforms, mental health response, veteran transition, rural broadband, and other crisis fixes use public tracking to show real results. This reform ensures every other one is open and accountable with no more hidden problems.
Answers to Common Questions
Why build on Transparent Idaho instead of starting new?
It already exists and works well for state data. We improve what is there instead of wasting money on something from scratch. Agencies can make changes quickly under executive order.
How current will the data be?
We push for more near real time where safe (payroll is already nightly). Transaction lags shorten with better tools. Local data comes in fully and more often through legislation.
Won't faster data uploads be too expensive or burdensome?
No. We use existing Transparent Idaho and agency systems. Pilots test efficiency first, and savings from waste reduction cover any upgrades.
How do we protect privacy with more public data?
All postings are aggregated or anonymized where required. Individual records stay protected under existing privacy laws.
What if agencies or locals resist upgrades?
I will direct state cooperation and make any pushback public. Task forces and public pressure will help. Legislation forces local governments to join.
Cost to taxpayers?
Low. Use the existing portal and staff time for improvements.
How does this connect to the budget reform?
Transparency shows budget allocations, results, and reallocations in real time so citizens can verify funds go to priorities.
How does this connect to procurement and contracts reform?
The portal tracks contract awards, vendor payments, and performance, making disclosure and limits visible to all.
How does this connect to agency performance audits?
Audit findings and progress are posted publicly, so citizens can see waste being fixed.
What about rural areas with limited internet access?
Reports are available statewide, and we prioritize mobile-friendly tools. Citizens Task Force includes rural voices to ensure usability.
How will we measure real improvement?
Through the yearly report on Transparent Idaho: faster data lags, higher tip resolution rates, and citizen satisfaction.
What if tips are false or malicious?
Tips are reviewed and verified before action. The process protects whistleblowers and prevents abuse.
How does this tie into Citizens Task Forces and Audits?
Task forces rely on Transparent Idaho for fresh data to review. Enhanced search and tips make it easier for volunteers and citizens to spot issues. Audits feed into the portal for public view. This is about trust. When you can see the numbers clearly and easily, the government has to be accountable.