'Transparent Denver' Lets Public See Where City's Money Is Going
DENVER (CBS4) - It's your money, so why shouldn't you be able to see where the city of Denver spends it? Now you can.
"Transparent Denver" is the first of its kind in Colorado offering residents a look inside the city's checkbook.
Transparent Denver is an online tool showing how the city is spending your tax dollars. It will also provide you with 24-hour access to view the city's checkbook and a lot more.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is stopped by CBS4 studios to talk about the new tool that was put into service on Wednesday.
"It's a one-stop site, user friendly, open, accessible, visible site for the public to see how we spend its money," Hancock said.
It's something that's not happening anywhere else in the nation.
"We think it's pretty innovative and unprecedented that we are going to be so open. It's making good on a commitment that I made last year to the public that you should be able to see how we spend your money and you can do it in the privacy of your own home or office," Hancock said.
He said it grows trust.
"If you look at this site, you will be able to pull up your assessed value on your home, you'll be able to look at our checkbook and see where we're spending your money."
Site visitors can go categories such as payroll or materials and supplies.
"That's important as people are investing their taxes into the city."
Anyone in the state and nation can visit the site.
"You can check revenue that's come into the city. You can actually go in see actual contractors by name, pull down how we paid them over a month or over the last six months and see where the dollars are going."
LINK: Transparent Denver
