The tool is designed to help residents better navigate budget information and serves as a starting point for exploring how county resources are allocated across departments, services and capital projects. Photo designed by Magnific

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - Placer County has launched a new interactive budget website that gives residents a more accessible way to explore the county's adopted budget and learn how public funds support services, programs and infrastructure throughout the community.

Available at www.placer.ca.gov/budget, the website translates one of the county's most important and comprehensive documents into a more user-friendly experience. Residents can review visual representations of revenues and expenditures, explore county priorities and investments, and access both the complete adopted budget and the Budget in Brief summary.

"Government works best when residents can easily access and understand information about the decisions that affect their communities," said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chair Shanti Landon. "This website creates a clearer connection between the county budget and the services residents rely on every day."

A centerpiece of the new platform is a budget chat tool that allows residents to ask questions about the county budget using everyday language. Rather than searching through hundreds of pages of financial documents, visitors can quickly find information about county programs, funding priorities and planned investments through a conversational interface that draws from the county's adopted budget.

The tool is designed to help residents better navigate budget information and serves as a starting point for exploring how county resources are allocated across departments, services and capital projects. It complements the county's official budget documents by helping users locate and understand information already published in the adopted budget.

"The county budget should be accessible not only to finance professionals, but to everyone who wants to understand how local government serves the community," said Landon, who championed the project. "Whether someone wants to learn about public safety funding, road improvements or other county services, this website makes it easier to find answers and engage with the budget."

In addition to the chat feature, the website includes interactive charts and graphs that provide visual insight into county finances and allow users to explore budget information from multiple perspectives. Residents can also learn about county services, major priorities and selected capital improvement projects that support community needs and long-term investments.

The new website reflects the county's ongoing commitment to transparency and public engagement by making complex financial information easier to understand and navigate. By offering multiple ways to explore the adopted budget, the platform helps residents connect county spending with the services and investments that shape their daily lives.

Residents can explore the website at www.placer.ca.gov/budget.