States Name Spending ‘Czars’ and Create Websites to Track Stimulus Funding

States are increasingly appointing ‘implementation czars’ to oversee spending of federal dollars allocated through the ARRA. The individuals tapped to act as watchdogs of their state’s stimulus funds come from diverse backgrounds and their responsibilities vary from state to state. In general, these czars are tasked with planning and monitoring how funds are spent. All 50 states have also launched websites tracking how states spend federal ARRA funds.