Contracts between state agencies and outside vendors now are available for review on the NebraskaSpending.gov website, State Treasurer Don Stenberg announced today.

NebraskaSpending.gov provides financial information about state government receipts and expenditures and, by law, is maintained by the State Treasurer’s Office.

In October Treasurer Stenberg announced major improvements to the website and said at that time that his staff was moving forward quickly to make state contract information available to the public as well. The state contract information was added to the website Dec. 22 and will be updated quarterly.

Among the improvements Treasurer Stenberg announced in October were monthly, rather than annual, updates to the state spending information and technical changes that made the website easier to use and the information easier to understand.

“I am committed to making as much state financial information as possible available to Nebraskans. The NebraskaSpending.gov website is a wealth of accurate, detailed, and relevant information that provides perspective and accountability. The improvements reflect my commitment to open government and to making access to state financial records easier for taxpayers,” Treasurer Stenberg said.

The latest addition to the website includes more than 3,500 contracts covering a variety of services including consulting services, engineering services, courier services, weed spraying, computer software packages, and IT maintenance. Under the State Contracts tab on the website, users can search for contract by agency, accessing the beginning and ending dates of a contract, the name of the agency and the vendor involved, and, in many cases, a brief description of the service.

A link to the website of the Materiel/Purchasing Division is included for users who want to search for further information about contracts negotiated through State Purchasing. Additional details about a contract not negotiated through State Purchasing are available by filing a public records request with the agency involved.

“The public and members of the news media are asked to share suggestions for how the NebraskaSpending.gov website could be improved and made easier to use,” Stenberg said. “We also would like to hear suggestions regarding additional information the public would like to see on the website.

“If the state is to be truly successful in bringing greater transparency to state government, it will have to be a collective effort,” Stenberg said. “We encourage you to contact us with your thoughts and ideas as to how we can improve this site.”