A new state website should make it easier for citizens to see where the State of Wyoming is spending its money.

On Wednesday, the Wyoming State Auditor’s Office announced the launch of an online checkbook for the state’s spending. It’s called WyOpen and located at www.wyopen.gov.

Developed internally by the auditor’s office, the site includes payments made by the state through the Wyoming Online Financial System (WOLFS) to vendors for the purchase of goods and services. The site allows users to search, view and download expenditure data by state agency, vendor name, vendor location and expenditure category. WyOpen currently displays payments made between Jan. 1, 2016 and June 30, 2019. Payment data will be updated periodically.

State Auditor Kristine Racines, who was elected to the office last year amid promises of greater transparency, said her office was “thrilled” to launch WyOpen.

“This website was created so anyone can have easy access to our state’s expenditures,” Racines said in a statement. “Putting Wyoming’s checkbook online is a critical step in ensuring Wyoming taxpayers understand how our public funds are spent.”

Racines’ predecessor, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, had said the office would need a $435,000 software upgrade before being able to put the spending data online. Cloud had also been slow in turning over the data to the nonprofit groups Open The Books and Equality State Taxpayers Association, saying it would take months and $7,820 worth of staff time to compile records for several years. However, Racines was able to produce that information and more within weeks of taking office — and did it with less than $180 of staff time. She also joined with Gov. Mark Gordon to form a Wyoming Financial Transparency Group, aimed at improving access to the state’s financial data.

Racines said she hopes the WyOpen site will continue to evolve based on user feedback and the group’s work. “WyOpen is not a final solution to transparency, but a tool to enable a better-informed public,” she said.

For questions, call 307-777-5258 or email SAOWOLFSHelpDesk@wyo.gov.