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Open Budget Portal
By leveraging the OpenGov platform, residents can use this website to have access and a better understanding of the City of Murphy's budget.
For details regarding Murphy's many departments and programs, visit our most recent Operating Budget book.
- 1. What is OpenGov?
- OpenGov is a financial transparency website which displays government finances over a multi-year period. The default view displays usually displays expenses broken down by department.
- 2. How do I select the data I want to see?
- To focus on specific data — like a fund, department, expense type, or any combination — use the menu on the left side panel. The “By” drop-down allows you to specify which breakdown you want the graphs and table rows to represent on the graph. You can analyze the expense and revenues data by fund, department, or type.
- 3. Can I select more than one fund or department?
- Yes. Use the Data Filter on the left side panel to make specific selections within the data. The Data Filter shows you the hierarchical relationships of Funds, Departments, and Account Types. You'll notice the title of the graph you are viewing on top along with the account type selector. You can use the filter to see the data of most interest to you.
- 4. How do I see the actual numbers within the graph?
- Hover over any area of the graph to see the actual or budgeted amounts for that period. Or, just scroll down to see a table with detailed information.
- 5. Can I see the data in a different graph?
- In the upper right hand corner, you will see options for the different graphs and tables. There are five graph types overall: an area graph, an area graph by percentage, a line graph, a pie graph, and a bar chart. There is also always a table view below any chart or graph. The table allows you to zoom-in on the detailed financial data selected in the chart or graph above.
- 6. Why are there sometimes spikes in one year?
- In reviewing multiple years of data, you may see "spikes" in the individual years; this can be due to unexpected expenses, such as a hard winter, equipment failure, a capital project, or a specific event that required additional funds. You can drill-down into our OpenGov site to learn more about what exactly those expense or revenues are categorized.
- 7. Can I save the data I am looking at?
- Yes, there are Share and Download buttons in the upper right corner. You can share any view on a social network or by email. There are also options to download the displayed data in .csv spreadsheet and .png image formats.
- 8. How do I learn more about government accounting?
- Use the Help menu on the top right corner to navigate to the “Budget 101” primer to learn more about multi-fund accounting.
- 9. I have a question. How do I contact the City of Murphy?
- Use the Help menu on the top right corner to navigate to the “Contact” option to send your message.
- 10. What revenue sources contribute to the City's General Fund?
- Visit our Open Budget portal to view General Fund Revenues
- 11. What type of expenses does the City's General Fund pay for?
- Visit our Open Budget portal to view General Fund Expenses
Tips on Using the Open Budget Portal
- The Open Budget Portal allows you to explore budget and historical finances in a simple graphical user interface. The main view includes a chart or graph, a legend and various controls to view expenses or revenues by various funds, departments, or types.
- You will notice the title of the chart or graph you are viewing on top along with the account type selector. You can use the filter to see the data that is of most interest to you.
- There are five different types of visual representations of the data - an area graph, an area graph by percentage, a line graph a pie chart and a bar chart. You can change your view by type at any point by simply selecting the different type of graph representation. The data will automatically convert. These functions are on the top right, and the icons represent the graph type.
- Below any chart or graph, you can view a table detailing the financial information in the visualization above.
- Use the Help drop-down in the top right corner to:
- View a short How-To Guide with tips on navigating the platform.
- Recall the Welcome Screen.
- View a short Budget 101 primer with basic information on multi-fund budgeting (how the accounts relate to each other).
- Contact the City with comments/questions about the site.
- Use the Share drop-down in the top right corner to:
- Share your customized graph or chart through social media.
- Send a link to your customized graph or chart through email.
- Use the Download drop-down in the top right corner to:
- Download an image of the graph or table as a .png file.
- Download a spreadsheet as a .csv file.
- To focus on specific data - like a fund, department, expense type, or any combination - look to the left and use the menu on the side panel. These selectors allow you to specify exactly what breakdown you want the graph or table to represent. When you select "Filtered By" the data filter pops up and allows you to turn on or turn off selected filters for that category - funds, departments, expense type.
- Keep in mind that some funds do not have every type of revenue or expense. For example, the Public Utilities Fund does not collect any general property tax revenue. If it is not included, it will be grayed out.