The site, www.lamayor.org/openbudget, goes back to 2009-10 and offers comparisons on revenue and spending by all city agencies, including Water and Power, Airports and the Harbor.
“My new budget website gives residents a better way to see how their tax dollars are being collected and spent, making L.A. city government more transparent and accountable,” Garcetti said in a statement.
The mayor wanted the website specifically designed to complement Controller Ron Galperin’s Control Panel L.A., which launched last year.
“Control Panel L.A. is best for looking for specific financial information,” the mayor said. “Open Budget is best for analyzing budgeting information and trends. Together, they provide an unprecedented interactive window into the details of the budget and finances of the city.”
Last year, as part of his “Back to Basics” agenda, the mayor started www.lamayor.org/performance, which allows residents to monitor the city’s effectiveness in providing services.
This will aid Garcetti in readying his inaugural budget, which must be completed by April 20, as he plans to use a “performance based” method to determine how much should be allocated to each agency to achieve its set of goals.
He has also been asking residents to participate in a survey on budget priorities for the city.
©2014 the Daily News (Los Angeles)