The Budget Explorer website now offers more information intended to help Missourians keep track of what state government does.
The Office of Administration’s Budget Explorer website has been operational since October, and now includes performance measures for the state’s 16 executive departments.
Using the site — budgetexplorer.mo.gov — residents may conduct comprehensive reviews of the state budget, and find links to more detailed information.
This recent addition of the performance measures, according to an Office of Administration news release, allows the public to see how each department fulfills goals for its programs and initiatives, and where money is being spent, thus creating greater transparency.
Drew Erdmann, Missouri’s chief operating officer, said implementing Budget Explorer in 2018 was another step in having government better serve citizens. He said improving performance is a “back-to-basics” transformation for management.
The site takes users to Gov. Mike Parson’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget recommendations. It also gives access to Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick’s Show-Me Checkbook, which is a financial data transparency portal that launched in 2018.
When on the Budget Explorer site, a user can pull up the budget, summary charts, management priorities and the performance measures and Show-Me Checkbook.
To find details of executive departments, go to the Budget Explorer website and click on the blue button on the right side of the page marked “Program Performance Measures.” From there, you will be directed to a page of tabs for each of the 16 departments. Click on a department’s highlighted title within the tab to go to a list of its divisions. Click on the division’s boldface name to reach pdf documents showing its performance measures.
So, for example, once on the budget website, click on Department of Agriculture. From there, choices include Agriculture and Small Business Development Authority, Agriculture Business Development Division, Director’s Office, Missouri State Fair, Wine and Grape Board, and six other divisions.
Click on any of the bold-faced division names to go to their measures. The State Milk Board link brings up a description of the division and pdf documents with performance measures for the “Grade A Milk” inspection and rating program or the “Manufacturing Grade Milk” inspection program.
Larger divisions have more measures. The Agriculture and Small Business Development Authority has 13, including “Animal Waste Treatment System Loan,” “Beginning Farmer Loan,” Value-Added Loan” and others.