Show All Answers

1. What is Visual Budget?

Visual Budget is a financial transparency website which displays government finances over a multi-year period. The default view 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 Broken Down 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 fund or departments?

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 5 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 1 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 Visual Budget 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. How do I contact my organization?

Use the Help menu on the top right corner to navigate to the Contact option to send your message to your organization.