Major Transparency Changes Announced By Atlanta Mayor

ATLANTA, GA — On the eve of her 100th day in office, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Tuesday announced sweeping changes to how the city handles requests for documents and other information.

Calling the changes "a new standard for government transparency," Bottoms announced plans for Open Checkbook, an online portal that will give the public access to city budgets, spending, salaries and contracts with private vendors.

It also will make it easier for members of the public to search for, follow and analyze city business, she said.

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"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 to hundreds of city workers at city hall. "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, Bottoms said. Charts, graphs and checkbook style transactions will be available, as will raw data, historical trends and projected expenses.

The portal will be accessible across Web browser and via mobile devices. Other governments that have used similar portals to expand transparency include Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, New York, and Massachusetts.

Atlanta Open Checkbook is expected to launch publicly this summer.

The announcement comes just over a week after Bottoms shook up city hall by calling for her entire 35-member cabinet to resign. Many members were holdovers from previous Mayor Kasim Reed's administration. She informed the members she would decide which resignations to accept and which to reject.

The resignation calls came as investigations into corruption involving former City of Atlanta staffers continue.

Photo by David Goldman/AP.