Transparent "Full-Monty" Budget Project

 

BUDGET PROJECT

While the city budget is formally debated and approved by our elected representatives, we are never active participants in the process to decide how to raise and spend our money.  If we could actually see where our money goes, we could better influence the city budget -- and make our government work for us.  

READ MY FULL -- SHOW ME THE "FULL-MONTY" BUDGET -- ESSAY

  

Through a series of Right-to-Know requests, I have been able to break down the spending of a few example city departments to give us a better idea of how these agencies spent our money last year.  I have presented the data with some explanatory information and organized it in a straightforward manner for our collective review.  


Screen-shot of the Full-Monty City Council Budget

DO MORE THAN LOOK

I would expect that, like me, you would question some of the spending choices:

  • Why does the Mayor's Office spend so much on so many lobbying firms, bear responsibility for a $190,000 payment for a claim in a breach-of-contract suit, and what was the payout for $475,000 in Civil Rights Attorney's Fees? 
  • Why does City Council employ more than 200 employees to serve only 17 legislators, spend so much for newspaper advertising in the Internet age, and allow its members to hold outside employment when they are paid so well?
  • Why does the Managing Director's Office spend nearly $6 million on Professional Services contracts, utilize so many high-salaried "Deputy Mayors" to run a government that was conceived to operate without them, and pay out $134,000 for expenses listed as "Other Expenses Not Otherwise Classified?"
  • Why does the City Controller's Office spend so much money staffing a "Community Affairs" department, employ so many relatives of other politicos, and pay thousands to a consultant whose home was recently raided by the FBI?

What questions do you have?  How will you ask them?  You can take a look at those "Full-Monty" agency budgets again with an ability to enter comments directly on the documents so we can share our thoughts with each other in wiki-fashion.

CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE "FULL-MONTY" BUDGET

 


Screen-shot of the Full-Monty Mayor's Office Budget (For Public Comment)

 

Please feel free to email me to let me know your thoughts and ideas -- and let me know which agency should get the Full-Monty treatment next!