Columbus– Auditor of State Dave Yost today launched a website that will, at no cost to local governments, help communities share equipment to save taxpayer dollars.  Leaders from communities in Lake County joined Auditor Yost in Mentor to launch the site.

“With Share Ohio, saving taxpayer dollars is now just a few clicks away,” Auditor Yost said.  “We’ve made it easier than ever for communities to share resources, and we’re looking forward to bringing this valuable tool to every corner of the state.”

At no cost to local governments, Share Ohio allows government officials to enter their entity’s capital equipment into a database for the purposes of loaning to and borrowing from other nearby entities.  Users also may track inventory within each department and facilitate internal sharing of equipment.  Share Ohio gives entities the ability to track utilization rates of equipment and run corresponding reports.  The Auditor of State’s office provides Share Ohio users with a FEMA resources definitions handbook and sample shared services agreements to help streamline the process.  

Auditor Yost began working with the Lake County governments in 2011 to find innovative ways for governments to “skinny down” while still maintaining vital services.  A first-of-its-kind equipment utilization study of 24 local governments in Lake County was released on April 10, 2012 and found that some capital equipment is used as little as 3 percent of the time, or once a month.  The results of the capital equipment utilization study led to the development of ShareOhio.gov.  

The Share Ohio application is available to all Ohio local governments seeking to borrow or loan capital equipment.  To register, local government leaders may visit www.shareohio.gov.