If you’ve ever wanted to easily view where Morgantown spends its money, how many households it has or what the average home value is, now you can, through its newly launched fiscal transparency center.
City Manager Paul Brake said he’s very excited about the site, which allows anyone to obtain information about the city. He said he’s hopeful it will increase people’s financial literacy about the city’s practices.
“As a local government, we are looking forward to creating more transparency between the city and its residents,” Brake said. “I think it is important that citizens are able to easily access this information and see exactly where the city’s revenue is coming from and how the money is being spent.”
During the most recent city council meeting, Brake thanked the city’s financial director Jim Goff, and the city’s communications personnel, Andrew Stacy and Krysta Chotkowski, for all their hard work behind the scenes to get the center launched.
The center is possible through a partnership with ClearGov, a provider of transparency, budgeting and forecasting solutions for local governments, according to the city.
The site offers a visual look at where the city’s money goes and where it comes from in the expenditures and revenue tabs. The data can be viewed in a variety of charts, including pie, bar and mountain.
It also shows how much each service costs each resident every year. For example, the Morgantown Police Department’s commodities costs $7.71 a year per resident, according to the site. The site also offers an Excel spreadsheet that offers greater detail.
Users can view information about the city’s demographics, including age group sizes, average home value, martial status and more.
“Municipalities must consider the dynamics of household types to plan for and provide services effectively,” the transparency site states.
There is also information on current and proposed projects the city is undertaking, such as its 2019 paving plan.
At a February council meeting, it was announced the site would cost $9,500 a year, with a one-time $3,500 setup fee.
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