AUGUSTA – As Congress moves forward with a massive spending package to stimulate the economy, state officials and lawmakers prepare for the unprecedented cash influx.

Some estimate Maine might receive as much as $1 billion in stimulus money, a number that has generated obvious interest in the State House, as well as concerns about how it would be spent.

Legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle and Gov. John Baldacci spent the last week finding a way to collaborate in spending the highly anticipated funds. All agreed transparency would be the key to ensuring taxpayer money is spent appropriately.

David Farmer, Baldacci’s deputy chief of staff, said the governor planned to make an unprecedented effort to keep the public informed, which is why he launched a Web site aimed at tracking each stimulus dollar.

The Web site will show where all of the funds are allocated, what the purposes are, any public announcements of contract awards and a listing of all of the program managers so that there’s maximum accountability, said Ryan Low, commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.

The governor’s office on Monday committed to using an already existing process for appropriations to help keep the Legislature in the loop, said House Speaker Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven.

“We want to set up a very specific process for legislative oversight,” she said. “We want to make sure the Legislature and the public are engaged and we want to make sure that everybody understands what money comes and how we spend it.”

Low, who briefed members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee on Tuesday, said all stimulus funds would be kept separate from other state money, making expenditures easier to track.

Low said his department, which will oversee the stimulus money, would make contact with legislative policy committees about spending before filing a financial order, which would require approval by the Appropriations Committee and the governor’s signature.

The administration would be open to conversations about changing the process if serious concerns arise, Low said.

Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, who serves on the state Legislature’s Appropriations Committee, said lawmakers have an obligation to keep track of where the money is going and to weigh in about how it is spent.

“We must plan with the agencies about how the new money fits into Maine’s over-arching economic development plan,” Rotundo said in a recent interview. “Every single dollar should be spent in a way that invests in our future. We have a responsibility to the people of Maine and the United States that it’s transparent and used wisely.”

Rep. Sawin Millet, R-Waterford, the committee’s top House Republican, said legislators would share responsibility for stimulus spending in the eyes of voters and deserve the right to be involved in the process.

“The need for accountability is real,” he said. “If we don’t do this right, we’ll be criticized for the rest of our natural lives, so we need to do it right.”

For more information on stimulus money and spending, visit http://www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/policy/Recovery2009.html. The Web site will be updated as more information becomes available.

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