Yourmoney.nj.gov, launched by Gov. Chris Christie, now offers detailed financial information on agencies like the New Jersey Turnpike Authority
A New Jersey website has added financial information of state agencies A new website Governor Christie launched earlier this year to make state finances more transparent is now being used to bring more accountability to some of New Jersey’s biggest independent authorities.
Detailed financial information for agencies such as the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is now available for viewing at yourmoney.nj.gov.
The website can be used to look through spending and revenue reports for the authorities, which spend billions in public money every year but are often overlooked by the public. Payroll information will be posted on the site soon as well.
"For the first time citizens of New Jersey can go to just one website and find all revenue spending and payroll information of the many independent authorities of the state of New Jersey," said Deb Gramiccioni, director of the governor’s Authorities Unit.
"These authorities run turnpikes and parkways, borrow money for economic development and education, and operate ports, sports arenas and racetracks," she said.
Christie launched the website earlier this year, after running for office in 2009 on a good-government platform that included making state spending and finances more transparent. The site replaced the "NJ Online Checkbook" that former Gov. Jon S. Corzine – who Christie beat in 2009 – started before he left office.
The governor’s site was launched during the summer with information about the state budget, debt and payroll, as well as purchasing and spending reports. It also has a feedback option.
The authorities’ financial data was posted earlier this month. There are 19 authorities being tracked by the state, and they have spent a combined $2.03 billion so far this calendar year, led by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, New Jersey Transit Corporation and the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.
The authorities have also collected a combined $1.25 billion in revenue since the start of the current budget year in July, with the New Jersey Transit Corporation, New Jersey Turnpike Authority and the New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Financing Authority leading the way.
Putting the authorities’ financial information online makes it easier for taxpayers to follow what the agencies are doing, Gramiccioni said in a video statement posted on the website.
"They oversee billions of dollars in spending on behalf of our state’s taxpayers, yet tracking their spending and activities has been time consuming and difficult – until now," said Gramiccioni, a former federal and state prosecutor who Christie tasked with overseeing the authorities after he took office.
Christie has also attempted to reshape the boards that run the outside authorities by nominating his own allies to serve on them, but several of his appointments have yet to be cleared by the state Legislature.
Also stalled in the Legislature is a bipartisan bill that would make the website permanent and also extend similar online oversight of government spending to the local level.
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