SeeThroughNY is a website and public accountability platform that allows New York State residents immediate access to financial data. The Empire Centre for Public Policy created and maintains this platform to demonstrate how state and municipal governments utilise public funds. SeeThroughNY serves as a watchdog for residents, journalists, educators, and legislators in an era of openness.

The Mission Behind the Platform

SeeThroughNY aims to empower individuals by making government finances transparent. The Empire Centre, a non-partisan research tank, sponsors the website to increase government efficiency and public discourse. Open data allows anyone to examine spending trends, waste, and the performance of public institutions.

Key Features and Tools

SeeThroughNY provides access to several rich datasets, each with its area of focus:

• Payrolls: Discover salary information for employees across New York’s public sectors, including state workers, local government employees, public school staff, and SUNY faculty.

• Pensions: View details of retirement payouts, including names, benefit amounts, retirement dates, and final employers.

• Contracts: Search through collective bargaining agreements between government entities and employee unions.

• Expenditures: Examine how funds are allocated across departments, including staff budgets and legislative disbursements.

• Benchmarking Tools: Compare property tax rates, spending per student, or public debt per resident between municipalities.

These features are intuitive and accessible, making the platform user-friendly even for those with no financial or governmental background.

Why It Matters to Taxpayers

SeeThroughNY helps taxpayers understand how their contributions are allocated. How much does your school superintendent make? Looking for MTA overtime costs? Do you want to compare district government contracts? The platform answers these questions clearly and reliably, improving fiscal literacy and local governance involvement.

Real-World Impact

SeeThroughNY impacts civic life. Investigative journalists discovered high public salaries being paid using it. Taxpayers have mentioned it in town halls. Public leaders have even used data to advocate for reform. The site revealed that SUNY Upstate Medical University’s CEO earned approximately $787,000 in a single year, raising concerns about the salaries of leaders at public health institutions.

Regular Updates for Timely Insights

One of the most powerful aspects of SeeThroughNY is its commitment to timely updates. As of 2025, the site has added:

• Payroll data for over 291,000 state employees.

• Pension figures for more than 78,000 NYC teachers.

• Information on 3,000+ state grants totalling over $400 million.

This level of consistency ensures that users can rely on the platform for the most current data available.

Supporting Civic Engagement and Policy Reform

SeeThroughNY fosters public policy engagement by organising and simplifying government data. Data helps communities debate local school expenditures and hold elected leaders accountable for budgetary decisions.

A Non-Partisan Effort with Real Consequences

Despite being administered by the Empire Centre, a free-market research organisation, the platform does not promote political goals. Instead, it provides unfiltered data. From advocacy groups to government reform organisations, SeeThroughNY’s non-partisan approach has earned it confidence.

Educational and Journalistic Value

Student, researcher, and journalistic resources abound at SeeThroughNY. Public administration and media classes utilise the platform to teach data analysis. In fact-based reporting on public money, corruption, and budget talks, news outlets frequently use the site.

Challenges and Limitations

SeeThroughNY is transparent, yet has issues. Some people say the UI overwhelms newcomers. Data is limited—some contracts or expenditures may not be digitised or recorded. Additionally, updating information across numerous federal agencies is a continuous effort.

The Future of SeeThroughNY

SeeThroughNY may grow in the future. More visualisation tools, real-time budget tracking, and open government data integration may enhance it. New York’s openness platform may inspire other states as transparency calls rise nationwide.

Conclusion

In a world of opaque government expenditures, SeeThroughNY shines. The platform helps New Yorkers to keep public institutions accountable by providing salary, pension, contract, and expenditure data. SeeThroughNY provides taxpayers, journalists, students, and policymakers with the insight and data they need to make informed decisions and promote responsible government. SeeThroughNY is a valuable ally in public accountability, ensuring every dollar is seen, questioned, and justified.