Senate Legislation Would Create RESULTS NY Website To Increase Accountability Of State Government Agencies

Phil Boyle

The New York State Senate passed legislation (S.2233) to create a new website, ResultsNY.gov, that would enable the public to review the performance of government programs to see how effectively agencies are spending tax dollars.   People visiting the site could also submit their own suggestions and recommendations on how to stop government waste and reduce state spending.

The ResultsNY.gov initiative is patterned after the Federal Office of Management and Budget's ExpectMore.gov website. This proposal would establish a new, user-friendly website that provides the public with the ability to review government expenditures, as well as the performance of State government agencies and programs in areas including the economy, education, public safety, energy, health, housing, and the environment.

While many state agency websites provide useful information regarding certain programs and initiatives, few provide access to objective, comparative data that enable taxpayers to accurately assess the performance of government agencies and programs. In contrast, ResultsNY.gov would provide detailed information on agency budgets and program expenditures, and would include a heavy emphasis on comparative data and statistics to show how the State is performing regionally and nationally. 

The site would also include an interactive feature that would enable members of the public to submit suggestions and recommendations on how to save taxpayer money, help eliminate wasteful spending, and operate government more efficiently and cost effectively.

The bill will be sent to the Assembly.