https://www.islandcountywa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?aid=148
Island County has launched a new digital budget book feature on its website at www.islandcountywa.gov. This move advances the Board of Commissioners’ commitment to transparency.
The interactive digital budget books are an online tool enabling citizens to explore how their tax dollars are utilized to benefit the community. Digital budget books are available for budget years 2023, 2024 and 2025. Each budget includes charts and graphs to help explain where revenues come from and how tax dollars are allocated.
“We have been building this product over the last three years,” Director for Budget & Risk Management Susan Geiger said during this week’s Board of Island County Commissioners’ work session. “Each digital budget book breaks down Island County spending in a clear and transparent way, allowing citizens to see how funds are allocated across various county services.”
Chair Melanie Bacon commented on the positive impact the digital budget books will have on government accountability.
“Making the Budget easily accessible to the citizens has been a priority for the Island County Commissioners for many years,” Bacon said. “Commissioner Helen Price Johnson envisioned this long ago, and Commissioner Jill Johnson has been part of the conversation on this for a decade or more. I’m so glad time, technology, and the hard work of our budget director has finally made the dream a reality. I fully expect the Budget Information page to quickly become one of the most visited areas of the Island County website.”
“We value the effort that went into this new tool,” said Commissioner Janet St. Clair. “It furthers our goals toward transparency and education about the budget, our most important policy, one in which we serve as the stewards of Island County taxpayers.”
The Board of Commissioners also encouraged residents to explore the digital budget books and provide feedback on how the new online tool can be improved.
To access the budget books, visit https://www.islandcountywa.gov/231/Commissioners-Budget-Information or navigate from the home page using the following steps:
- Log on to www.islandcountywa.gov;
- Click the “Government” tab at the top of the homepage;
- Select “Board of County Commissioners” from menu on the left side, and;
- Within that section, click on “Commissioners Budget Information,” being the fourth tab down in the dark blue navigation bar.
The digital budget books are listed by year, followed by links to the printable PDF versions of budget process documents and meetings records related to each year’s budget.
For more information, contact Susan Geiger, director for Budget and Risk Management for Island County, at SM.Geiger@Islandcountywa.gov
