Would you commit to buy a car, a house or even a jacket without knowing the price? That's why an Orange County supervisor has proposed a measure requiring a cost analysis of all county initiatives.

You wouldn't buy a jacket without knowing its cost so why shouldn't we know the cost of local initiatives? https://t.co/zMKhf7zKln

— HJTA.org (@HJTA) March 7, 2016

At the state level, the Legislative Analyst’s Office has the responsibility to provide a “fiscal impact” analysis – that is, information to voters as to the costs to taxpayers of passing a proposition.

But this isn’t currently required at the local level. And those backing attractive sounding, but costly, measures like it that way. They prefer to keep the public in the dark. If a county measure promises to create new parks in every neighborhood, it may sound great, but taxpayers should know what it will cost them before they cast a vote.

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do deserves credit for proposing a measure that would require a cost analysis by the county’s Auditor Controller for all county initiatives, and his colleagues deserve praise for agreeing to place it on the June ballot for voter approval.