Public Money Part 1

The state of Alaska is working on a project that I applaud them for. I heard on NPR [story link] that they have set up a website that allows people to pull up where and how the state's money is being spent. Any expense at or over $1,000 is listed, although I think there are allowances for certain types of confidential which may, in my opinion, cause problems for such a project. It's referred to as Alaska's checkbook online, similar to how people can check their bank accounts online. 10 other states have similar websites. From what I can tell, Mississippi is not one of those 10 and it is something I feel strongly enough about that I may write a formal letter to our state treasurer, Tate Reeves, asking he consider this concept.

On a local level, the city's yearly budget is always available both in city hall and on our website. Here is a pdf [link] of the 141 page city budget. Matt Cox, budget committee chairman, does a powerpoint presentation that gives a good brief overview. If I can find a copy of it I'll post that too in a follow up.