Albemarle County is excited to announce the launch of an online budget visualization tool created by Smart Cville, a locally-based non-profit organization whose mission is the advancement of open data, civic innovation, and technology-driven solutions throughout local government.
Smart Cville’s budget visualization tool allows the public to understand where the County’s revenues come from and how they are spent in a simple, straightforward manner. Visitors to the site can input their annual property tax and fees and see how that money is expended, broken down by categories such as Public Safety, Health and Welfare, Community Development, and more. Additionally, visitors can view budget information from as far back as 2011 and easily see how spending has changed for a particular category over time.
“I’m pleased that Smart Cville has used Albemarle County budget data to show this complex information in such an approachable and interactive way,” said Lori Allshouse, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. “This site enables our citizens to explore county budget information and drill down into detailed spending and revenue data to clearly illustrate how the budget supports important County services.”
“The collaboration of the County with Smart Cville to create this tool demonstrates the County’s commitment to greater government transparency and citizen participation,” said Brad Sheffield, Rio district Supervisor. “It’s a technological innovation that will help the County reach an audience that seeks to be engaged in new and changing forums.”
“Public discourse begins with understanding often complicated issues. Budget documents are walls of numbers and footnotes. With this tool residents will be able to engage the budget in a personal and clear way,” Said Lucas Ames, Chairman, Smart Cville. “We hope the tool increases understanding and helps inspire informed discourse.”
To explore the County budget visualization site yourself, visit http://albemarle.smartcville.com. At this time, the County’s expenditures on the site are limited to the General Fund and the Fire Rescue Services Fund, which represent two of the primary operating funds of the County. Not included in this tool are the budgets for the Capital Fund, School’s Funds, and Special Revenue Funds. For complete Albemarle County budget information, visit our budget website at www.albemarle.org/budget.
