LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – To make Nevada’s finances more transparent, officials launched a website and portal aimed at making the state’s checkbook available for widespread review and examination.
“It all updates on a daily basis,” Nevada State Controller Andy Phillips said of the financial data on the portal at a news conference on Tuesday at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas.
Phillips, who once worked with the think tank that created a similar web portal, Transparent Nevada, said he has long championed transparency.
“I’ve always believed, as a matter of principle, if we’re talking about people’s money, they should know what they’re doing with it,” Phillips said.
According to Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose office provided details on the the website, the so-called checkbook features data on the state checkbook, budget, payroll, and pension disbursements, and was created through a collaborative effort between the Controller’s Office and Lombardo’s administration.
“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. “Controller Matthews and his team have worked diligently to provide this transparent resource for Nevada taxpayers, and I’m proud of their work to increase understanding of the state budget process.”
Phillips said the project had been in the works since around the time he was voted into office in January 2023, and the “real work” started by August.
His staff, speaking at the news conference, said they took cues from similar transparency portals in Massachusetts and Idaho.
