The Texas Spend-O-Meter demonstrates how quickly the state is spending money in the 2008-2009 biennium budget. The total "all funds" budget of $152,456,109,333 was approved by the House and Senate on May 25, 2007, and took effect at midnight, September 1 (the start of the 2008 fiscal year), and runs through August 31, 2009. The budget includes monies spent by the Legislature from state taxes, fees, fines and federal grants.
The numbers break-down as:
- $2,417.18 per second
- $145,030.55 per minute
- $8,701,832.72 per hour
- $208,843,985.39 per day
- $1,465,924,128.20 per week
Methodology
The Spend-O-Meter calculates the amount spent since midnight of September 1, 2007 as if the spending were to occur in a progressive, orderly fashion at the per-second rate noted above. The Spend-O-Meter is not designed to reflect actual spending, but projected spending based on the approved budget. In reality, state expenditures from the budget occur at punctuated points in time, such as with the monthly payroll for state employees.
The Spend-O-Meter does not include local-dollar spending by counties, cities, schools, and special local districts.
The Spend-O-Meter calculates the rate based on your computer's clock. If your clock is not properly set, the numbers may be inaccurate.