Press Release: Transparency Online Project Launch
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OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
WWW.COLORADO.GOV/GOVERNOR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, SEPT. 1, 2009
CONTACTS:
Megan Castle, 303.319.8513, megan.castle@state.co.us
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
Eric Rothaus, 303.866.4951, eric.rothaus@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER AND TREASURER KENNEDY ANNOUNCE STATE'S TRANSPARENCY ONLINE PROJECT
Gov. Bill Ritter and State Treasurer Cary Kennedy today announced the launch of the Transparency Online Project (TOP) System, which gives citizens easy Internet access to information and records about state expenditures and revenues.
"TOP sets a new standard for accountability, responsibility and transparency in state government," Gov. Ritter said. "Taxpayers now have a convenient and modern tool to see exactly where their money is going and how it's being spent. This project makes government work smarter, better and more efficiently for the people of Colorado. This is especially important in this economic climate as we keep the budget balanced and lead Colorado toward a strong recovery."
"Transparency is the key to accountability," said Treasurer Kennedy. "That's why I have been so focused on opening the state's finances to the public. Every citizen is a shareholder, and they're entitled to the most complete and up-to-date information possible."
Kennedy has made openness in state finances a key part of her administration, partnering with Gov. Ritter and the state controller to publish the State Taxpayer Accountability Profile (STAR), and providing access to the state's finances by putting everything from the state's investment portfolio to its daily balance sheet online.
The TOP System was established pursuant to an executive order issued by Gov. Ritter earlier this year. The order calls for expenditure information to be available online by today and revenue information by Jan. 1, 2010. Today's launch provides the revenue data four months early.
The executive order works collectively with House Bill 09-1288. The TOP System website (http://tops.state.co.us/) goes beyond the requirements of the executive order by allowing users to view the state's payments for expenditures, revenue reimbursements, and balance sheet accounts, providing the user with a checkbook approach.
With today's launch, the state will continue to take user feedback and modify the system over the next few months. Send an e-mail to TOP.Support@state.co.us with "Feedback Response" as the first two words in the subject line.