Office of Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr. - Press Release: Release State Budget Accountability Report
Press Release: Release State Budget Accountability Report
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER JR.
WWW.COLORADO.GOV/GOVERNOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2010
Contact:
Eric Rothaus, (303) 866-4951, Eric.rothaus@state.co.us
Evan Dreyer, (720) 350-8370, Evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER AND TREASURER KENNEDY RELEASE STATE BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
Fourth annual STAR shows continued commitment to transparency, accountability
Denver - State Treasurer Cary Kennedy and Gov. Bill Ritter today announced the release of the annual State Taxpayer Accountability Report (STAR), which provides information on the state’s financial condition. This STAR, the fourth one released in as many years, covers Fiscal Year 2008-2009, the most recently audited data available. Working with the State Controller’s Office, Kennedy and Ritter issued the first STAR report in 2007.
“The STAR’s purpose is to keep government accessible and accountable,” said Kennedy. “We are making information available so the people of Colorado can see exactly how their tax dollars are being used.”
“We continue to focus on making government more accountable and transparent than ever before,” said Ritter. “Greater transparency makes government more efficient and work smarter and better for all of Colorado’s citizens.”
This year’s STAR discusses the impact of the recession on the state’s budget. The report also highlights the state’s energy sector, demographic trends, and how Colorado compares with other states.
Kennedy and Ritter have each focused on providing greater transparency during their terms. Working with the State Controller, Kennedy and Ritter launched the Transparency Online Project System – or TOPS – last year, an online system that provides access to information about state revenues and expenditures.
Starting with his first year in office, Ritter’s administration posted all department budgets on the state website along with budget fact sheets and information on the budget process.
Kennedy upgraded Treasury’s website, providing information about how the state manages its funds. “Taxpayers can see a detailed list of the state’s investments, look up how much money their community gets in highway funds, or review a daily balance sheet for state funds – it’s unprecedented,” said Kennedy.
In March of 2010, Kennedy added Colorado Tax Tracks to the Treasury website, an interactive feature that shows Coloradans how their state tax dollars are spent and lets visitors to the website offer input as to whether they agree. Taxpayers can see what they spend on nearly one hundred functions of government from clean drinking water inspections to disease control.
The STAR report can be viewed on the Treasurer’s website at www.colorado.gov/treasury and the Governor’s website at www.colorado.gov/governor. Previous STAR reports are also available.
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain text