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The basics:

• Gov. Sherrill unveils online NJ budget report card platform
• Tool tracks $60.7B state spending, program outcomes
• Designed to improve transparency, taxpayer access
• Site will expand with more data, program insights

Gov. Mikie Sherrill rolled out a new online “report card” in Trenton designed to give residents a clearer, more accessible look at how state government spends money. And what taxpayers are getting in return.

Sherrill framed the rollout as part of her administration’s early push on transparency. The governor tied the April 23 launch directly to commitments she made upon taking office.

“I said I’d bring new accountability to Trenton by launching an online interactive report card where people can track how their tax dollars are being spent and what state programs are truly delivering for families. And we are here to unveil that website today,” said Sherrill.

The platform compiles budget and program data into a centralized, user-friendly format. Available at reportcard.nj.gov, it aims to making traditionally dense financial documents easier to navigate.

Core goal

New Jersey Chief Operating Officer Kellie Doucette emphasized accessibility as a core goal of the effort.

“The New Jersey report card is a straightforward concept, quite simple, really, in what it contains. Yet it represents a fundamental shift,” said Doucette. “It takes something that traditionally has been complicated and hard to understand, the state budget, and makes it clear and usable for everyone.”

She added: “You shouldn’t have to dig through complicated paperwork to understand your government. You shouldn’t have to guess where your dollars are going. You should be able to see it in a simple format, understand it and hold us accountable for it. That’s what the report card is designed to do.”

[The report card] takes something that traditionally has been complicated and hard to understand, the state budget, and makes it clear and usable for everyone.
– Kellie Doucette, NJ chief operating officer

State Treasurer Aaron Binder pointed to the longstanding complexity of the budget itself. He noted the tool aims to simplify access to that information.

“The state budget, which provides a roadmap for how the state will spend $60.7 billion in taxpayer dollars, is an extremely complex and often hard to understand document,” said Binder. “This complexity can be frustrating for taxpayers who want to see how their taxpayer dollars are being spent. With this tool we are launching today, taxpayers will now have access to the budget in a way they’ve never had before …”

Doing the math

Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole led development of the site through the New Jersey Innovation Authority, also in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget. It pulls together data from across agencies into a single interface.

Cole said they wanted to make both spending and outcomes easier to understand.

“This Report Card is an important budget transparency tool, with data points presented in a meaningful and accessible way so that New Jerseyans can know more about how their state runs,” said Cole. “When taxpayers can easily see a connection between their dollars and the public services that benefit their lives, we foster both civic engagement and overall trust in government.”

“This is obviously focused on making sure that there’s accountability and transparency in the budget process,” he noted. “But also that this is an iterative process based off of people’s feedback. As you go through every single page, you’ll see at the bottom there’s a form. Simple question – did this help you find what you were looking for?

“Yes or no. And then people can give us more information … This is going to go back into the process, and we’ll continue to make improvements for the site over time based off of the feedback that we received here.”

Teasing out the budget

The platform includes a breakdown of the governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget, as well as interactive visualizations of spending categories, and historical data showing how revenues and expenditures have changed over time. Users can also drill down into specific programs to see details such as mission, populations served and performance metrics.

Sherrill said the combination of budget transparency paired with program outcomes is central to the broader intent.

“It’s not simply a budget tool,” she said. “It is really a tool to track programs and if we’re getting the bang for our buck. We need to help better explain to people why we might make certain choices and where we think their tax dollars are best spent.”

The site launches with a limited set of program profiles. It plans to expand that number and data points in the months ahead.

Sherrill added, “New Jerseyans deserve this level of accountability. And we are setting a gold standard here in New Jersey to make government work for the people and businesses we serve.”

Watch the budget report card announcement here:

What NJ leaders are saying

Business leaders and advocacy groups in New Jersey reacted positively to the launch.

“NJBIA thanks Gov. Sherrill for continuing to make budget accountability and transparency a priority in her administration,” said New Jersey Business & Industry Association president and CEO Michele Siekerka. “This new Budget Report Card will serve as a vital tool in our shared pursuit of greater fiscal responsibility, and toward that we are also encouraged that the proposed FY27 budget tries to hold the line on spending.

“We agree with the governor’s call to limit last-minute spending items given our fiscal challenges, and we support the reasonable reductions proposed for Stay NJ.”

“We thank Gov. Sherrill for making the Budget Report Card available to the general public, advocates, journalists, and researchers,” New Jersey Citizen Action Executive Director Dena Mottola Jaborska. “This unprecedented online tool affirms her administration’s commitment to a budget process that is fair and transparent, and encourages New Jerseyans to be partners throughout with both our governor and our State Legislature.  This is a key component to a healthy democracy.”

Jaborska added: “We look forward to working with the Budget Report Card, and to see it expanded to include information on the impact of corporate tax breaks. We urge our State Legislature to do their part as the budget process unfolds, and provide the public opportunities to comment on legislative changes before they are voted through.”

“For too long, New Jersey’s budget process has happened behind closed doors, leaving residents with little insight into how their tax dollars are spent,” said Nicole Rodriguez, NJ Policy Perspective president. “Gov. Sherrill’s commitment to that kind of transparency is a great start, and we look forward to seeing it built out further and become a permanent part of how the state does business.”