Peoria County unveiled a new online portal that opens its financial data to the public. All County spending is public information, but the website bypasses the time and paperwork required to file Freedom of Information Act requests.
“They have nothing to do except sit down at their desk in their bedroom at night completely anonymous, and they can find out what they want to find out,” County Auditor Carol VanWinkle said.
The portal comes from the online platform Open Government.
VanWinkle says the effort to improve transparency comes at a time, particularly in Illinois, where taxpayers are feeling cynical about government spending.
County board member and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Allen Mayer says the site is an extra tool for Peoria County residents.
“So that our citizens can actually have more insight and transparency about how we’re spending their tax dollars," Mayer said. "So that they can feel we are doing the best they can with the limited resources we have.”
The program cost the county $14,500. That’s information you can find on the new website.
Chicago’s Cook County unveiled a similar open data effort in 2012.
You can access the portal through Peoria County government's website, or by clicking here.