When it gets to Raleigh, how is your tax dollar spent? How does the state budget affect you? How is the budget really put together? Where does the money come from? Can we cut taxes? Or should we raise them? Can spending be reduced without affecting key government services like education?

These are good questions, but getting good answers isn't easy. That's why the North Carolina Progress Board developed:

Our State, Our Money
A Citizens' Guide to the North Carolina Budget

This guide is a non-technical, straightforward publication that distills the mountains of pages in our state budget into a citizen oriented non-partisan "primer" designed to help North Carolinians understand what is in the state's budget and what happens to their tax money each year. The guide contains colorful tables, graphics and easy-to-read text designed to help citizens better understand our state's budget, its size and complexity.

The Guide is available from the NC Progress Board in printed form and it may be viewed or downloaded as a PDF (portable data format) file from this website.

To print all or selected pages, select "File", "Print" in the viewer window and follow the prompts. To print charts and graphs, click on the "Graphic Select Tool" (dotted square box), draw a frame around the chart or graph, right click in the frame and then select print.

Click on the links below to view the Guide or order a copy. If you have any questions or feedback, don't hesitate to let us know.

The complete guide (standard resolution - 1.6 MB file)
The complete guide (high resolution - 5.9 MB file)
Individual chapters of the Guide

Order a free printed copy                 Order Multiple Printed Copies or CDs

Follow the money article
Where does it come from? Where does it go? And why does North Carolina budget this way?
News and Observer article, Sunday, May 18, 2003 By Tim Simmons, Staff Writer.

NCPB Press Release Announcement Oct. 9th, 2003
"Our State, Our Money"
A Citizens' Guide to the North Carolina Budget

Press Release Event at General Assembly Office Building

"Citizens reactions" to the Guide article, Asheville Citizens-Times,
Oct. 7, 2003

Feedback / comments? Click here - Thank you!

Notes on working with PDF files