As the saying goes, two things in life are certain - death and taxes

At a time when the economic outlook is uncertain and the cost of living is increasing, it’s important to watch where your money goes.

You can cut back on luxuries such as chocolate and a few beers on a Friday night. But one thing you can’t cut back on is your taxes. As the saying goes, two things in life are certain — death and taxes.

One of the functions of the Stray Ferret is to scrutinise where your tax money goes, so you don’t have to.

As a journalist who specialises in local government, I dig through council documents, including budget reports and expenditure spreadsheets, and hold those in charge of your money to account. Simply put, it’s my job to investigate how your taxes are spent.

Reporting on public money is not easy. It takes time and effort to go through the numbers to ensure we get it right. But, there is a value to knowing where your money goes. Ultimately, it is your hard-earned money and you have a right to know.

Last month, I reported on North Yorkshire Council’s housing company, Brierley Homes, reporting a £3 million loss for the last financial year. That is a loss that local taxpayers will be underwriting.

Without the Stray Ferret, this story would have gone unreported. The council is not going to issue a press release about one of its companies losing money — especially when it’s public money.

Another example is the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority refusing to reveal the redundancy payment for one of its senior officers.

I spent three months submitting Freedom of Information requests and challenging the council when it refused to provide information. Ultimately, the authority relented and we revealed that the senior officer was paid £95,177.21.

Why do we do this? Because one day those in charge of how your money is spent will ask for your vote at the ballot box.

Whether you think your money is being spent well or not is up to you — what's important is that you make an informed decision when you tick a box and cast your vote.

Tracking and accurately reporting on public money takes time and experience. We have to research stories, check them and ensure they are accurate before we publish them.

To date, we have 2,500 subscribers, who all help us to fund the important work we are doing. Our subscribers are helping us provide reliable and trustworthy local information that everyone benefits from.

We have a target of 5,000 subscriptions so every one counts. 

Please subscribe to help us track how well your money is being spent. Thank you.

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Calvin Robinson is the Stray Ferret's Chief Reporter and has a track record of covering public money as a former Local Democracy Reporter.