On the eve of her first 100 days in office, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced her Administration’s latest initiative to set a new standard for government transparency with plans to launch the City’s first-ever online Open Checkbook.
Speaking in front of hundreds of employees inside Atlanta City Hall’s atrium, Bottoms said the new online portal would make it easier for the public to access City budgets, expenditures, salaries and contracts with vendors. Additionally, it will allow members of the public to easily search, follow, and analyze the business of the City.
“Just one day away from my 100th day in office, I am proud of the steps that we are making to usher in a new era of transparency and efficiency in the City of Atlanta,” Bottoms said. “Open Checkbook will allow residents and taxpayers to see exactly where their money is being spent, not just how it is budgeted. I believe this will serve Atlanta well and go a long way in helping our residents reestablish trust in city government.”
With Atlanta’s Open Checkbook, users will be able to review granular level spending data in a way that is easy to explore and track. Charts, graphs and checkbook style transactions will be readily available. Raw data, historical trends, and projected expenses will be easily searched and understandable regardless of financial acumen. This new online platform will be user- and browser-friendly as well as completely accessible via mobile devices.
Other governments have used similar portals to expand transparency and openness to the public including Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, New York, and Massachusetts.
Atlanta Open Checkbook is expected to launch publicly this summer.
Complete audio from Tuesday’s presser below:
