The Washington Policy Center announces that the state of Washington will launch a new database tomorrow, and it's going to look a lot like what the center asked for.

Here's the announcement from the center:

The new searchable budget website authorized by SB 6818 (Promoting transparency in state expenditures) will be launched tomorrow by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) and the Office of Financial Management (OFM). SB 6818 was based on Washington Policy Center’s (WPC) recommendation for the state to adopt a searchable budget website. It passed the legislature unanimously in 2008.

The website is Fiscal.wa.gov (will be live at noon on 12/3).

The searchable budget website provides an unprecedented level of interactivity allowing users to create their own budget reports to compare state spending over time.

This website is a great resource for citizens regardless of the level of their budget expertise. From the green eyeshade policy analyst to the casual observer, users can create a customized look at how our tax dollars are being spent.

Included on the website are details on:

• state expenditures by fund or account
• expenditures by agency, program, and subprogram
• state revenues by source
• state expenditures by budget object and subobject
• state agency workloads, caseloads, and performance measurements.

The budget website also links to performance information on the Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) website and OFM’s website on personal services’ contracts.

To help build on the success of Fiscal.wa.gov, WPC sent letters to GMAP and OFM encouraging these agencies to enhance their websites to mirror the functionality of the new budget website. This effort could also serve as a template for creation of a tax transparency website. Earlier this year WPC released a proposal for a ‘Taxation Disclosure Act’ similar to SB 6818.

We are hopeful that state officials will build on the success of the new budget website and also make details on taxation more transparent to help citizens learn more about what government decisions mean to their pocketbooks.

If adopted by state officials, the tax transparency proposal would set up an online database where users could find their state and local tax rates (such as property and sales taxes) by entering their zip code, street address, or by clicking on a map showing individual taxing district boundaries. An online calculator would let citizens determine their total tax burden and which officials are responsible for which parts of it.