City of Grand Rapids issued the following announcement on July 14.
The City of Grand Rapids announced today the launch of its new online Open Budget/Data platform. The live site offers colorful and easy-to-use information related to the City’s expense and revenue budgets. Currently, the site contains the City’s operating revenue and expenditure budgets for fiscal years 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Those wishing to review audited financial statements should refer to the City’s published annual financial reports.
Open Budget presents information in an intuitive and visual manner. Interactive charts and graphs allow users to “dig down” exploring how funds are allocated and spent across funds, departments, units and revenue sources or expense objects. Programs and capital improvement projects are slated for later this year. Users can also access and download the raw data that powers the visualizations, ensuring the highest degree of transparency and allowing the easy reuse of the data.
Molly Clarin, Grand Rapids’ chief financial officer, said this new technology allows the City to collaborate with the community on programs, work plans and budget submissions. She said it is the first time the City has taken a deliberate approach to report out on-going metrics to the broader community. Key performance indicators previously were reported out annually during the budget process.
“This past year, the community really voiced its desire for access to additional budget information beyond what is currently in the City’s Fiscal Plan,” said Clarin. “We responded by issuing a redesigned Citizen’s Guide to the City’s Finances – an easy-to-read, summarized version of the Annual Financial Report (AFR). We also heightened transparency with this easy-to-use site that provides users with information on operating revenues, operating expenses and the detailed expenses of our budget.”
Clarin said Open Budget was configured to show the adopted budget versus the amended budget in a dynamic way using charts and graphs. Visitors on their desktops, tablet and mobile devices can learn about government priorities and impact on their lives and neighborhoods.
Grand Rapids, a Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works City, has made significant strides in its data strategy over the past year by adopting a four-year strategic plan, identifying its priorities and objectives, and selecting 15 metrics to measure progress in reaching those goals.
City leaders adopted an “open by default” policy in 2016, cementing their commitment to remove barriers to public access to information. The platform also helps City leaders hold themselves accountable for achieving outcomes and metrics laid out in the strategic plan.
The City’s Open Budget site is part of GRData portal which provides a single point of access to municipal performance data, dashboards and metrics for the public and employees working across the City’s 41 departments.
The next phase of the project will include building the Open Expenditures module which will allow users to see the City’s expenditures by fund and department. Users will be able to compare budget to actuals once this module is completed.
Original source can be found here.
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