Transparency: All the cool cities, states are doing it
Filed under: Campaigns, No Taxation Without Information
I’ve been a little delinquent in showcasing some of the newly launched transparency websites and projects. Here are a few that caught my attention:
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Mayor Ralph Becker just announced the “Greater Transparency for a Collaborative Government Initiative” that they hope will allow greater input and collaboration between the city and its residents. Officials offered a 30-point work plan and are soliciting advice from the public via this website: transparencyslcgov.com
Open Georgia launched recently, and includes a searchable database of expenditures, including salary and travel, professional services, financial reports, and program reviews.
Washington state released their Washington State Fiscal Information site early last month. Citizens can find state expenditures by fund or account; expenditures by agency, program, and subprogram; state revenues by source; state expenditures by budget object and subobject; and state agency workloads, caseloads, and performance measurements. The Washington Policy Center has asked the state to continue to build on its momentum by establishing a “Taxation Disclosure Act” that would allow citizens to better view how their tax dollars are used and raised, including tax rates and burdens.
I’ll add more as I find them.
