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Date: 8/13/2015
EAST LONGMEADOW – The town’s Information Technology (IT) Department has partnered with Springfield-based OpenCheck to provide residents with an online open checkbook of the town’s fiscal spending records.
IT Director Ryan Quimby told Reminder Publications the open checkbook became available for the public to use on Aug. 7.
The checkbook allows residents to easily search through all accounts payable expenditures made by the town, he added. Transactions are presented via dynamic graphs and as a check register. Records can be searched in categories such as departments, vendor, expenditure types, fiscal year, and date ranges.
Quimby said the idea to procure the system began about eight months ago when Selectman William Gorman reached out to the department to find a way to implement an open checkbook as a way to increase government transparency.
“When I ran for office, the taxpayers wanted more transparency,” Gorman said. “This, to me, is to let them have transparency because it’s hard to get people to Town Meeting.”
He added that when former Town Administrator Nick Breault was in the position before leaving for a similar position in Wilbraham, both he and Breault applied for a state grant to utilize and open checkbook system.
When Gov. Charlie Baker entered office, funding for the grant was cut, Gorman said.
“I happened to mention it to Ryan Quimby and he says, ‘Oh, I can do that for you,’” Gorman explained.
The open checkbook was $6,000 and funding came from within the IT Department’s consulting budget, Quimby said. Originally, the town was planning to utilize the services of MUNIS for $13,000.
Board of Selectmen Chair Paul Federici said the open checkbook system allows residents to have a better understanding of how the town spends its money.
Gorman said it also helps the board because townspeople would have more knowledge about the fiscal side of local government when they come to Town Meeting.
Quimby said there also plans to include payroll information in the future as well as to enhance the open checkbook by making it more user friendly.
“[Additional features] could probably be [paid for] within the town’s budget, but we won’t stop looking at possibilities to fund it with a grant,” he added.
Residents with any questions about a particular transaction are encouraged to contact the responsible department, he added. Suggested changes or enhancements to the system are welcome, and can be provided to Quimby at ITD@eastlongmeadowma.gov.
To access the open checkbook visit www.eastlongmeadowma.gov/transparency.