Kansans "KanView" Where Their Tax Dollars Go

Kansas taxpayers now have a tool to track their tax dollars at a mouse click. Thanks to the efforts of State Rep. Kasha Kelley, who sponsored legislation last year, and Sen. Tim Huelskamp, who revived the bill after some in the senate had left it to die, the KanView portal launched today and is now available to the public.

Here's what Kansas taxpayers can now search on the website www.kansas.gov/kanview/:

Annual expenditures, including:

• Agency disbursements
• Bond debt payments
• Salary and wages
• Contractual services
• Commodities
• Capital Outlay
• Debt service
• Aid to local units of government
• Assistance and benefits
• Capital improvements

Annual Revenues representing agency receipts and deposits into funds established within the state treasury, including:

• Taxes
• Agency earnings
• Revenue from the use of money and property
• Gifts, donations, and federal grants
• Other revenues
• Annual bond indebtedness

Any other relevant information specified by the Secretary of Administration with consultation and advice from the Public Finance Transparency Board.

Kansas was one of five states to pass spending transparency legislation in 2007. Many states working to provide online access to government expenditure information in 2008 have looked to Kansas and emulated the legislation, which has given Kansas one of the most comprehensive expenditure portals at the state level. For more information on spending transparency, visit www.atr.org.