DeVoe L. Moore Center
Florida State University
The College of Social Sciences and Public Policy

Data Notes

All data posted on FloridaOpenGov.org was obtained from official state and federal government sources through public records requests and has not been altered by the Foundation for Government Accountability.  If you have specific question about the data, please contact us

Local Government Revenue and Spending

Data for Local Government Revenue and Spending was obtained from the Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s office.  For more information, visit the CFO’s Transparency site: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Transparency/

Per Capita comparisons were calculated based on U.S. Census Bureau population for Florida counties, cities, towns and villages and for the entire state for the years indicated.  For more information, visit: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000lk.html


State Vendor Payments

Data for Local Government Revenue and Spending was obtained from the Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s office.  For more information, visit the CFO’s Transparency site: http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Transparency/


State Payroll

Data for State Government payroll was obtained from the Bureau of Payroll Services within Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s office.  Descriptions were not provided for all positions, but are displayed whenever provided. 

The most recent full calendar year of payroll is provided. For the State’s current payroll, visit Governor Rick Scott’s transparency website www.FloridaHasaRighttoKnow.com

Local Government Payroll

Data for Local Government payroll was obtained from the Department of Management Services’ Division of Retirement.  Position descriptions were not available.

 

Local government payroll (salary) data is only available for those individuals participating in the non-state Florida Retirement System Pension Plan (not the 74,100 FRS Investment Plan participants).  This payroll dataset represents about 86% of all local government (non-state) employees with active membership in the Florida Retirement System.

 

To learn more about the Florida Retirement System, please read its annual reports available here.

 

Local Government Payroll data is available for the following local government types:

Can my name be removed from FloridaOpenGov.org?

All information on FloridaOpenGov.org is obtained through public records requests.  Florida's Sunshine laws provide exemptions for crime victims who believe that being included as part of such public record requests may put them at risk,as outlined in 119.071(2)(j)1, Florida Statutes (2011) which state:

Any document that reveals the identity, home or employment telephone number, home or employment address, or personal assets of the victim of a crime and identifies that person as the victim of a crime, which document is received by any agency that regularly receives information from or concerning the victims of crime, is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. Any information not otherwise held confidential or exempt from s. 119.07(1) which reveals the home or employment telephone number, home or employment address, or personal assets of a person who has been the victim of sexual battery, aggravated child abuse, aggravated stalking, harassment, aggravated battery, or domestic violence is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution, upon written request by the victim, which must include official verification that an applicable crime has occurred. Such information shall cease to be exempt 5 years after the receipt of the written request. Any state or federal agency that is authorized to have access to such documents by any provision of law shall be granted such access in the furtherance of such agency’s statutory duties, notwithstanding this section.

If this exemption applies to you, contact the relevant government agency using the process outlined above to have your information kept confidential.  When that government agency provides data to FloridaOpenGov.org as part of its public records request, your name will not be included.  You may also send us a copy of your request that you submitted to that government agency, with the required documentation, and we will remove your name immediately.  Please contact us at info@FloridaOpenGov.org with any questions.

Learn more about Public Records Requests

If you would like to learn more about the public records request process in Florida, please read this helpful guide.