Dig into Merced’s spending with free online tool

Ever wonder how the city is spending its money? Residents will have the chance next week to learn how to use a free online tool that can help them delve into Merced’s budget.

The demonstration of OpenGov, an online tool paid for by the city, is scheduled for Thursday, April 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Sam Pipes room of City Hall, 678 W. 18th St.

Representatives from the service will give demonstrations and answer questions during the training, according to a news release.

Merced’s numbers are available at mercedca.opengov.com. The city’s website also has a link to the OpenGov page, as well as a tutorial.

The website uses pie charts and bar, line and other graphs as visual aids. Merced’s OpenGov page shows a handful of saved searches for frequently asked questions, such as the amount spent on public safety or on city parks.

The website drills down further than the top layer of the budget by allowing users to filter information and find other, more specific numbers. For example, users looking into the city’s general fund can look beyond the total number and into the services, fines and taxes that pay into the fund.

City leaders have said the training should be of particular interest to residents who approach the council looking for new programs and services.

The City Council approved the cost of the transparency tool in 2014 at $9,500 annually for five years.

OpenGov software is used by more than 1,000 government entities in 45 states, according to its website.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Dig into Merced’s spending with free online tool."