E-Transparency

Dear Kentucky Taxpayers:

I am proud to report that, with Governor Steve Beshear's vision and leadership, and the hard work and good ideas of a bipartisan, inter-agency effort among Executive Branch officials, we are getting closer to the January 1, 2009 launch of "Kentucky's Open Door," a full-service, user-friendly e-Transparency Web site that will allow you to find out how your tax dollars are being spent.

This summer, Governor Beshear appointed a bi-partisan Task Force that has drafted plans, policies and designs for Kentucky's Open Door.

Now it's your turn. We need YOUR help.

Following the links below, you can review the Task Force's draft legal policy, and you can scroll through draft "mockups" of the site's features. You can also try out searching for samples of state contract information by logging onto the Vendor Income and Expense Watch (V.I.E.W.) page, a pioneering effort by Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, which will allow citizens to search the state’s vendor and contractor data. Secretary of State Trey Grayson has also produced a model of agency transparency with “Check it Out Kentucky!” a site that offers an expenditure search of the Secretary of State’s Office.

Be forewarned: with many of these draft sites, I must emphasize the word "draft": We are still three months away from launch, and we are continuing to collect and sort through data to ensure that we do not violate any privacy or confidentiality laws. But hopefully, these mockups should give you a good sense of the information we hope to present and the manner in which we hope to present it.

Our Task Force's report is due to the Governor by November 1. So in order to get us your feedback on the site, please click here and leave us your comments, ideas, suggestions, and edits by October 17.

Thanks for your help. Together, we can make sure that Governor Beshear's vision of a more transparent and accountable government is realized.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Miller
Secretary of Finance and Administration
Chair, e-Transparency Task Force

www.opendoor.ky.gov

Homepage Welcome to the draft homepage for Kentucky’s Open Door. You’ll be able to click onto each door or icon to navigate throughout the site; citizens will be able to access financial data about the state in a user-friendly, easy-to-access manner.

Budget Basics The Budget Basics door is a tutorial that allows the average citizen to log on and find out basic information on state expenditures, revenues and how budgets are developed.

Budget Builder This page outlines the concepts for a “Budget Builder” game that will allow users to try their hand at balancing a budget and choosing realistic policy options in order to educate and engage in a hands on way.

Budgeting for Kids There is a fully interactive kids section, which will utilize games, cartoons and interactive lessons on budgets and government finance.

How a Budget is Made! This test page shows a walkthrough of budget development, where each icon will lead to an interactive lesson or cartoon on each step of the process.

My Taxes This section will provide a broad number of searchable sections where citizens will be able to drill down into government expenditures, revenues, vendors and contracts.

My Taxes: Revenue This page, which highlights revenues, illustrates the type of information that would be accessible to taxpayers, in an easy-to- read and follow format.

• Missouri – http://mapyourtaxes.mo.gov/

• Kansas – http://www.kansas.gov/kanview/

• Oklahoma – http://www.ok.gov/okaa/

• Texas – http://www.window.state.tx.us/