Fort Bend County Commissioners Court members voted Tuesday to put the county’s check registry online for viewing by the public.
“This completes the third leg of transparency in government… recommended by numerous groups,” County Judge Bob Hebert said.
Before the meeting, he called the measure “just a way to let people see how the county is doing business,” without forcing them to make Texas Public Information Act requests for such information.
Hebert said a handful of Texas counties, including Collins, have begun making their check registries available online. Fort Bend already has begun putting its budget and its annual audit online.
The judge said the system agreed to Tuesday will not only show current checks written to county vendors, but also will show each vendor’s cumulative total year-to-date in payments from the county.
“You’ll actually be able to see our projections and expenditures over time,” Hebert added.
“Congratulations on that, that’s a good idea,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Richard Morrison told Hebert just prior to a unanimous vote Tuesday in favor of the measure.
