Sept. 25, 2013
Fees and fines collected by state agencies make up a huge part of the state budget, but some agencies are withholding that information from the public despite a requirement that their annual reports be posted online.
A state budget proviso ( Proviso 117.81 for this fiscal year, which started July 1) renewed annually since it took effect in the 2009-10 fiscal year requires agencies to post online by Sept. 1 “all aggregate amounts of fines and fees that were charged and collected by that state agency in the prior fiscal year.” The purpose of the reporting requirement is to “promote accountability and transparency," according to the proviso.
But a survey this month by The Nerve of 26 agencies’ websites found that only nine, or less than 35 percent, had their annual fees and fines reports posted. Four agencies – the departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV); Public Safety (DPS); Insurance; and Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) – posted their most recent reports this week after being contacted by The Nerve.
“We had the previous year’s up there, but we had not yet updated the one for the last fiscal year,” DPS spokeswoman Sherri Iacobelli said in a written response Monday. “That was an oversight. … Thank you for bringing that to our attention.”
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