Public Accountability Journalism

Do you know where
your taxes go?

Every year your town spends your money. That spending is public record — buried in documents almost nobody reads. We read them, analyze every line, and publish what deserves a question.

3
Reports published
0
News-desert towns
10
Sections per report
$0
Cost to read
Our Mission

Public money deserves public scrutiny.

Budget Watch is an independent research project that analyzes municipal budgets in towns where no local newspaper exists to do it. We produce structured, cited, fact-based reports — not opinions — and publish them for free.

More about us →
01

We obtain the official budget

Every report starts with the town's own published document — no leaks, no anonymous sources.

02

We run structured analysis

Ten sections covering everything from fund balance to pension liability to transparency scores.

03

We publish questions, not verdicts

Every flag becomes a neutral question for the public to ask — every figure is cited to its source.

Become a Public Budget Analyst

We're looking for detail-oriented researchers to help expand our coverage. No finance degree required — just curiosity and a commitment to citing your sources.

Apply now →