WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) — Workers—check your paystub.
Do you know how much of your money is going to the government—or even where it’s being spent?
A step toward transparency was taken this afternoon in Wheeling, where West Virginia’s state auditor unveiled a new online tool.
Called the Budget Book, it shows all the money the state allocated and spent in the last five years.
It’s broken down into sections of where the money from different sources is going to, including state revenue, federal funds and lottery profits.
Auditor J.B. McCuskey says it’s intended not just for taxpayers, but for the legislature itself.
The entirety of this project is about accountability. And what we really want is for the people of West Virginia to have control of their government, to tell their elected officials that they’re doing the right or the wrong thing, and if they don’t think they’re doing the right thing to vote for the other person. Because change can only come if the people and the taxpayers understand what their government’s doing with their money.
J.B. McCuskey, WV State Auditor
If you ever wondered how West Virginia is using its billion-dollar surplus—you can tell the state how you would spend it.
The ‘Surplus Challenge’ tool allows you to select what percentage you would put toward infrastructure, education and more.
You can use the tool here
