S.C Comptroller creates report to detail gas tax expenditures

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) - Have you wondered what the new gas tax law is funding? Well, now you can find out online.

According to South Carolina Comptroller Richard Eckstrom, his office has developed procedures to track the money generated by increased gas tax and vehicle registration fees.

Eckstrom believes transparency is important, saying it "will provide an extra layer of oversight and accountability."

Public interest in the law prompted Eckstrom to produce a special report. However, he noted that the law won't fund the creation and disbursement of the report. He debuted the state's Fiscal Transparency Website in 2008, which shows monthly itemized spending reports by each state agency. South Carolina is reportedly the only state to create such a site with no additional funding or legislation.It is also used in local governments as well.

“Transparency promotes efficiency and accountability, and it fosters public trust,” Eckstrom says. “Hopefully, this added public oversight will help ensure that the increased taxes and fees being imposed on us will be used to fix and maintain our roads, as those who authorized the increases told us they'd be."

Eckstorm plans to post the expenditures monthly, with the first report coming in a few weeks.