Novi Offers Public City Data Online

Do you know where your tax dollars are going?

Now you can find out online. The City of Novi is now posting the status of its finances, public safety information and quality of life data online using a tool called the City Dashboard. 

The dashboard is powered by Munetrix and can be accessed from the city’s website. The tool provides data on crime, fund balance, where city departments are spending their money and where the money is coming from.

“We have a long history of being a transparent government entity, and we want to keep on facilitating that and to get additional information out to the public,” said Assistant City Manager Victor Cardenas.

The tool went live on the city’s website a little over a month ago, and the data comes from Novi’s comprehensive annual financial report, which is audited by an independent firm.

“I think the normal citizen where know where their tax dollars is spent, they’ll be able to see how their government is performing in terms of meeting different goals we’ve established," Cardenas said.

Cardenas said the city has much bigger plans for the dashboard, including adding performance measures and other data such as which streets have been snow ploughed and which rooms have been rented out in the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. 

“We’re really going to make a lot out of this dashboard and expand upon its current state,” he said.

The dashboard also offers a comparison of Novi to a handful of other similar cities in terms of their population size and taxable value, such as Troy and Farmington Hills.

In addition to helping residents keep an eye on the government, Cardenas said the dashboard could also be helpful to future residents.

“It will also help potential residents see what type of community we are and maybe make the decision to move into Novi instead of somewhere else,” he said.