Enhanced transparency website will help taxpayers follow the money

Comptroller boosts accessibility, functionality by upgrading The Ledger

CHICAGO - Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger announced today that she has made significant design and functionality upgrades to her financial transparency website - The Ledger - that will help taxpayers more easily find information on state and local finances. To access The Ledger, visit ledger.illinoiscomptroller.gov.

Munger has prioritized technology advancements in the Comptroller's Office to improve efficiency, lower costs, and increase transparency for taxpayers. In addition to The Ledger's facelift are some new features including:

• "Popular Search" buttons that give taxpayers quick financial information about commonly referred to revenues and expenses, such as Sales Taxes, Gaming Taxes, Education Spending, Medicaid Spending, etc.
• The "Fiscal Focus Blog" that keeps taxpayers in the know by breaking down complicated state financial information and presenting it in easy to understand blog posts.
• A "Mobile Friendly Interface" that allows taxpayers to access state financial information on-the-go from their smartphones and tablets, in addition to desktop.

"I'm excited to announce these improvements to The Ledger that will make it easier for taxpayers to find information on state and local finances," Munger said. "The people of Illinois pay a significant amount of money for government services, and they have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. I will continue to do everything I can to help them follow the money."

By visiting The Ledger, taxpayers can track the daily activity of the state's accounts, view state financial reports, perform searches on specific revenues, expenditures, and contracts, and even track a state employee's salary.

Taxpayers can also view financial records of cities and villages, townships, counties and other local taxing districts at the Comptroller's portal for local finances, The Warehouse. The Comptroller's Office is a repository for local governments' Annual Financial Reports, Audit Statements, and TIF Reports. All of those documents are viewable on The Warehouse, and a comparison feature on the portal allows taxpayers to view the data of two local governments side by side.

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