Residents can now view all third-party payments made by the City from August 2022 through today

Baltimore, MD - Comptroller Bill Henry launched Open Checkbook 2.0 Spending Explorer, a new public-facing online tool that tracks the city’s third-party vendor payments.  

Open Checkbook 2.0 allows the public to review Baltimore City’s spending by accessing payments to suppliers. This updated version was developed through a partnership between the Baltimore City Information & Technology (BCIT) and the Office of the Comptroller, building on the Mayor’s Open Checkbook that originally launched in 2021.  

This new tracking system will update daily with the latest third-party payment transactions using data from Workday, the City’s current enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. Future tracking additions will include purchase card (known as p-card) transactions once those systems are fully integrated with Workday. 

“We are once again hitting an accountability benchmark concerning City finances, one that we pushed for in our transition plan when I first took office,” Comptroller Henry said. “Open Checkbook 2.0 will show in real time where taxpayer money is going.” 

The Department of Accounts Payable (AP) is responsible for all payments and disbursements made by the city except for payroll and debt management. The office currently processes an average of 3,400 invoices each month, making vendors payments within 24 hours of receiving an approved invoice from an agency. In 2023, AP moved from the Department of Finance to the Office of the Comptroller following a charter amendment. 

“Accounts Payable has worked diligently to make third-party payments more timely and more reviewable. With Open Checkbook 2.0 we are leading the way in bringing much needed transparency to that process. As Comptroller, it’s my job to know how our money is being spent, and now our residents and vendors can openly follow our work,” Comptroller Henry said. 

Residents are encouraged to reach out to the Comptroller’s Office with questions or comments about Open Checkbook 2.0 using the feedback form.