About
Who runs The Community Brief.
The Community Brief shows where public money comes from and where it goes, for every government that serves a ZIP code: the state, the county, the city or town, and the school district. It is independent and neutral. It does not grade governments or rank places.
The site was founded by Ben Torres Ezrick, a former Google and Zoom executive based in Miami Beach, Florida. He is the site’s founder and editor, and also runs The Ballot Brief and Homebuying Brief. The Community Brief grew out of a simple question: you pay taxes to several governments at once, so where does that money actually go?
Sourcing
Where the numbers come from.
Every figure comes from published government data. The base is the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, which covers every state and tens of thousands of counties, cities, towns and school districts. Where a government has published a newer audited report of its own, we add it and say so on the page.
National figures on federal grants come from the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Historical Tables. Every page labels the fiscal year it shows and links to its source.
What we do not do
No grades, no rankings.
We show what each government reports, grouped so it is easy to read: taxes, fees for services, money from other governments, and spending by purpose. When a place differs most from similar governments, we point that out as a fact. We do not call any of it good or bad.
When a number is missing, we leave it out rather than show a zero. When the Census Bureau had to estimate a government’s figures, the page says so.
Corrections
Corrections and contact.
Governments, reporters and readers who spot an error can write to [email protected]. Include the page and what is wrong. Corrections are made to the live page.
Headquarters
Where we’re based.
The Community Brief is based in Miami Beach, Florida.
The Community Brief1610 Euclid Avenue
Miami Beach, FL 33139