LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – In an effort to increase transparency in Nevada’s finances, officials have launched a website and portal aimed at making the state’s checkbook available for broader review and investigation.
“All of the financial data on the portal will be updated daily,” Nevada Secretary of State Andy Phillips said at a news conference Tuesday at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas.
Phillips said he has long championed transparency, having once worked for Transparent Nevada, a think tank that founded a similar web portal.
“I've always believed, as a general rule, that if you're talking about people's money, people should know what they're doing with that money,” Phillips said.
According to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose office provides details on its website, the so-called checkbook contains data on the state's checkbook, budget, payroll and pension spending, and is subject to audits. It is said that it was created through a joint effort between the House of Representatives and Governor Lombardo. management.
“The Nevada Open Finance Portal is an unprecedented tool in my administration’s efforts to bring accountability and integrity to state government,” Lombardo said in a statement. “Secretary Matthews and his team have worked diligently to provide this transparent resource to Nevada taxpayers. I am proud of their commitment to increasing understanding of the state budget process. I think so.”
Phillips said the project has been in the works since he was voted into office in January 2023, and the “real work” began by August.
His staff said at a news conference that they took their cue from similar transparency portals in Massachusetts and Idaho.
