Walpole, Massachusetts
A Suburban Town Achieves Transparency with Peer Benchmarking and Contextual Commentary

Walpole

Location

Massachusetts

Population

26,383 (2020)

ClearGov solution

Transparency

Primary Objective

Deliver Big-Picture Fiscal Insights

The Town of Walpole wanted to move beyond basic transparency to provide “big-picture” insights and relevant data from similar towns.

Challenge

Engaged Taxpayers Need Context & Benchmarking

The Town of Walpole is fortunate to have an engaged electorate “that always has lots of good questions and ideas.” In 2017, the town began exploring fiscal transparency solutions that would not only empower more taxpayers to get timely answers to their questions, but also help them understand the story behind the numbers.

We were looking for more transparency for Walpole taxpayers and felt strongly that a robust benchmarking capability could lend valuable context to our financials. We chose ClearGov because we wanted both internal stakeholders and residents to see how we compare with surrounding communities.
Jodi Cuneo, CGA, Town Accountant, Walpole

“Prior to launching the ClearGov Transparency site, we did a pretty good job of sharing our financial data in town meetings and on our website, but the public still had questions,” explains town accountant Jodi Cuneo. It wasn’t enough for residents to see line items in a spreadsheet, they needed more detail and a frame of reference, so they could get a better handle on how funds were being raised and allocated.

Citizens weren’t the only stakeholders looking for big-picture insights. Selectmen and Finance Committee members also wanted more context. Specifically, they wanted an easy way to compare Walpole financial information against other Massachusetts towns.

Solution

Interactive Data, Context, & School Integration

Walpole went live with their financial Transparency site powered by ClearGov in June of 2018, replete with peer benchmarking analyses for neighboring towns. And, because the local school district also uses ClearGov, Cuneo was able to pull relevant school data into the town profile as well, completing the fiscal picture for Walpole residents.

Cuneo likes the way ClearGov uses infographics to make fiscal data interactive and easier to understand. “The dynamic graphs are great, and I especially like the commentary feature. Being able to add a line or two of text to clarify a figure reduces phone calls and provides valuable context for residents.”

The ClearGov client success team has been incredible — patient, understanding, and responsive — every step of the way.

A custom banner on the town’s homepage links directly to their financial Transparency profile. Town officials also promote the site at public meetings and other events to drive citizen engagement. To date, six months after the official launch, the profile has generated 7,300+ views.