New website provides answers, rankings
Florida state and local governments collect and have access to a treasure-trove of information. And here at LMA, we believe that good data begets good policy when properly and skillfully applied (which is our specialty!) So we’re happy to share a new project and website for Floridians created by outgoing Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva (R-Miami Lakes) that grades cities and counties on their spending and transparency.
Last week, Speaker Oliva launched the “Taxpayer Accountability & Transparency Project”, whose website you can access here. The site allows you to see how public funds are being used and how counties and cities rank among themselves on key performance indicators. The site includes downloadable “Local Government Report Cards” on each county and each city, including the size of government, spending, debt, crime, and education.
Oliva said it “gives residents a useful tool to help them make educated judgments and hold their elected officials accountable.” The site draws on six-year data averages on per capita and yearly increases in spending, debt, salaries and benefits, number of employees and their average salaries, plus granular data on property crime and public education metrics. And we found the website very easy to use as well – try it!
The project acknowledges using some subjective judgment in assigning letter grades of A through F, which includes giving an “F” to 80 cities that didn’t participate. We applaud Speaker Oliva, the IT staff, and the local cities and counties that participated in building this resource for their effort at making government more transparent, accountable, and productive. That’s something that makes Florida special among the other 50 states.
LMA Newsletter of 8-17-20
