The official elected as the state’s accountability watchdog is creating a new program to encourage better open records policies among local governments.
Auditor Keith Faber is announcing a new rating system that evaluates how each local government complies with Ohio's public records laws, known as Sunshine Laws.
The four-star rating program known as StaRS offers one star if the government is meeting the bare minimum on Sunshine Law requirements and offers a star for each additional best practice implemented.
"I think what it's really going to do is encourage people to be more attentive to this issue because someone's actually taking a look at it," Faber said.
Faber says the government scorecards will be able to be accessed through a searchable online database. Ratings will be entered into the system starting next year.
