McKinney is the first city and government entity in the state of Texas to receive all five transparency stars from a Texas Comptroller’s program recognizing local government entities that provide easy online access to important financial data. McKinney earned stars in the areas of traditional finances, contracts and procurement, economic development, public pensions and debt obligations. “The Texas Comptroller sets forth some of the most rigorous standards for financial transparency for local governments that I’ve seen,” said City Manager Paul Grimes in a news release. “We are proud McKinney is now recognized as demonstrating the highest level of financial transparency in Texas, and we will continue to add more ways residents can learn about city activities and get involved in their government.” In addition to pushing for greater access to a wider range of local information, the comptroller's transparency stars program highlights government efforts to provide taxpayers with the tools necessary to better understand and analyze financial information, according to a news release. Because of this, information like budgets and check registers can’t just be placed online, but they must be searchable and organized in a way that allows users to perform analysis on raw budget data. “I applaud McKinney for embracing this program and taking a leadership role when it comes to local government transparency,” said Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar. “As Texas’ first five star transparency city, McKinney is setting an example that I hope all local government entities in Texas will follow. The residents of McKinney should be proud of this achievement and know that their city is providing them the crucial information they need to monitor how their tax dollars are being spent and make informed decisions about their city’s future.” Hegar will visit the city of McKinney on April 17 from noon to 2 p.m. to recognize the city and present an award. “The City Council and I have long embraced public transparency, and we are proud of this recognition and the efforts by our city staff in making it happen,” said Mayor Brian Loughmiller, in a news release. “That our community has more ways than ever to be engaged, obtain factual data and information, and stay informed is great news for McKinney. Every citizen deserves open government.”