Open Budget

1. What is NC OpenBudget?

In support of the North Carolina’s budget transparency initiative, NC OpenBudget is a budget transparency website that provides information on state government budget and spending. State budget, expenditures and payments have been shared online for citizens to search, download and analyze.

2. What is the State of North Carolina’s budget transparency initiative?

The State of North Carolina’s budget transparency initiative is designed to provide information on budget expenditures for each State agency.

3. What information is available on NC OpenBudget?

The data shared includes budgeted amounts and actual expenditures for each State agency supported by the State’s General Fund, the Highway Fund, and the Highway Trust Fund. Information is provided for both appropriated and receipt-supported expenditures. The data also provides information on payments to vendors and other recipients, such as local governments or nonprofits. This data is updated on a monthly basis.

The site also includes information on the Governor's Recommended budget. This data is provided at the time the Governor's budget is released and represents a snapshot at that point in time. Information reflects appropriations only. The data is not regularly updated. The final budget will be made available on the site once enacted by the General Assembly, at which point data on budget and spending will be updated on a monthly basis.

Local government and public school data is currently available on the Local Government Commission website and the Department of Public Instruction’s website. Future releases will provide enhanced functionality for accessing local government and public school data.

4. Is there any state spending that is not found on NC OpenBudget?

All General Fund supported spending that is appropriated by the General Assembly is contained in the website. Data is also provided for the Highway Fund and Highway Trust Fund. Data on other non-General Fund activity (e.g., Trust funds, Internal Service Funds) will be made available in a future release.

5. Is personal information protected?

Some expenditure data may be considered private, confidential, or protected under state or federal law. Information appearing to be private, confidential, or protected by law may not be displayed. For such expenditures, you may contact the agency for more information, but please be advised that the Agency may be prohibited from releasing additional information.

6. How is the data protection provided?

Some payment information has been excluded entirely for accounts used to make payments for purposes known to contain private information, such as public assistance payments, worker’s compensation claims, or legal settlement payments. In some cases, the payment information is provided, but the payee’s name has been replaced with a generic term in place of a specific individual’s name.

7. What web browser should I use to best view the charts and graphs on NC OpenBudget?

The following web browsers are supported for viewing charts and graphs:

• Google Chrome Version 15 and higher (32-bit version)
• Internet Explorer Version 9 and higher (32-bit version)
• Firefox Version 6 and higher (32-bit version)

Adobe Flash Player 11.1 or higher is required. A full list of general browser requirements are listed on the SAS 9.4 Support site. The website is optimized for a screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels or higher.

8. How do I learn about terms used on this site?

Please visit the Budget Glossary.

9. Who is responsible for the governance and maintenance of the data and site?

The Office of State Budget and Management is the lead agency responsible for the site and works in partnership with the Department of Information Technology to develop and maintain the site.

10. Will improvements be made to NC OpenBudget in the future?

Yes. There are planned enhancements and additions that will be rolled out in a phased manner. User feedback will be reviewed and used to inform other potential enhancements or improvements.

Visit the Contact Us section to access the forms for requesting data and/or for making a suggestion.

11. How do I make an Access to Information Request if I can't find the information I'm looking for?

For information on submitting a public records request, visit the webpage for the agency source of record:

• NC Office of State Budget Management
• NC Office of the State Controller
• NC Department of Administration
• NC Department of Information Technology
• NC Department of Public Instruction
• NC Department of State Treasurer
• NC Department of Transportation
• NC Community College System