Spotlights
347 - Fiscal Transparency in N.C.: Surveying state and local governments

May 14, 2008

Key facts:

• Citizens don’t have the ability to easily track how state and local governments spend their tax dollars — but they should.



• Budget information isn’t available online in easily searchable databases, but it should be. Citizens shouldn’t have to make special requests to obtain budget information.



• Not every state agency needs to provide its budget online, but their Web sites should at least link to the budget and financial reporting pages at the Office of State Controller and the Office of State Budget and Management.



• Thanks to broadband Internet connections, people can download even large files relatively quickly now, so there is no reason not to provide budgets as single documents.



• Kansas, Texas, and Missouri provide good examples of transparency in state government. Every level of state and local government in North Carolina must do better reporting contract, grant, and check registry information.



• Tax-referendum defeats, corruption in state government, and the continued population influx mean governments must be more transparent to earn public trust.