Tyler Earns Gold Leadership Circle Award for Transparency
Posted/updated on: December 20, 2013 at 1:38 pm
TYLER — For the third time, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs recognized the City of Tyler with a “Gold Leadership Circle Award” for transparency in local government. According to a news release, the Comptroller’s Leadership Circle program recognizes local governments across Texas striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online, in a user-friendly format. “Transparency has been a priority for me personally during my tenure as Mayor of Tyler,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass (pictured). “Tyler works hard to ensure financial information is readily available to citizens via our web site. Our goal is to communicate and operate in a way that is open and accessible to our community.”
According to the release, the “Gold” designation is reserved for local governments that set the bar for transparency. The “Silver” designation encourages entities making continued progress toward achieving financial transparency, while “Bronze” inspires those just beginning their efforts and taking the first steps toward achieving financial transparency. The review for the award accounts for financial reports, budgets, and check registers available online. The process also checks for financial transparency features including budgets posted online for the current fiscal year; details within the check register; ease of access to the documents; and instructions on how to submit a public information request.
“Taking steps toward transparency can save taxpayers money because citizens can access materials online instead of requesting them in print,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “Moreover, web users can access desired information at the touch of a button and the click of a mouse, in addition to being more environmentally friendly.” Tyler was the first city to receive this award when it began in 2009.
