What are the top three specific improvements you would suggest to improve accountability and transparency in city government?
Mayoral Candidate Responses
Michael Flaherty
I have called on the city to adopt several measures to bring greater accountability and transparency to its government, including the implementation of annual performance reviews, the government management tool called CitiStat, online budgeting that is constantly updated and available to the public, and web-streaming meetings held by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and the Boston Employment Commission. By making government data and information more accessible and transparent, we hold public officials accountable to making sound financial decisions and make it easier for residents to inform themselves about how we are spending their money and what decisions are being made about their neighborhoods and communities. Through these strategies, we can earn the public’s trust again.
Thomas Menino
We need to continue our efforts to make Boston city government more accessible to city residents, not only through new technologies such as our iPhone application for calling in service requests, but also by moving government agencies closer to our constituents, as we will do by relocating the School Department and Neighborhood Development to Dudley Square. We are implementing a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system through which every call is assigned a case number and should be able eventually to track their request online.
But most important, I’m in the neighborhoods and I ask my department heads to do the same. Technology is important, but government also needs the personal touch.
At-Large City Council Candidate Responses
Felix Arroyo
- Public financing of municipal elections. Private financing of elections leads to the perception of a conflict of interest (the so-called “pay-to-play” system) at best and outright corruption at worst. It is clear that a system of publicly-financed elections would remove the leverage that special interests have over our elected officials, and encourage candidates who are otherwise willing to participate.
- Create a Planning Department. The City’s development and planning process is dominated by the unaccountable and conflicted BRA. I am calling for significant reforms of the BRA, including a Home Rule Petition to create a City Planning Department. My proposal would create a Department independent from and with authority over the BRA, and structured to foster an open process.
- Support legislation that makes our elected officials disclose any income that they make outside of their job as an elected official.
John Connolly
We have made some improvements with respect to accountability and transparency, but more needs to be done. First, the City Council recently passed legislation regarding financial disclosures of City Council members. I authored the successful amendment to the ordinance that required a penalty mechanism to ensure compliance. I also secured an executive order that effectively expands this ordinance to all city officials with policy making power. I was the cosponsor of the City Council’s proposed transliteration ordinance that fosters ballot access and open elections by enabling Asian, Latino, and Haitian voters to receive transliterated ballots. In terms of three specific improvements, the City needs” (1) a line-item budget so it can easily be reviewed, (2) to commit to transliterated ballots in all elections, and finally (3) all City Council meetings and hearings should be broadcast live via streaming video and audio and available on the BNN’s primary channel.
Tomás Gonzalez
I would publish the city budget on-line and force the BRA to adhere to community-based principles that guarantee community input and compliance in all future development projects, especially those that directly impact the quality of life of a given neighborhood. Finally, I would make sure all calls to the Mayor’s constituent service line are tracked, so residents can know the status of a request and when it will be completed.
Tito Jackson
In my campaign I have used social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to provide residents with information and to solicit their feedback. I would continue to use these tools as City Councillor.
I would also support holding City Council meetings in Boston’s neighborhoods, rather than exclusively in City Hall. This change would increase access to the meetings for residents across the city and reinforce the importance of neighborhood issues.
My third suggestion to improve accountability would be the creation and publication of performance metrics for City Councillors. Residents have a right to know how effective their City Councilors are in receiving and resolving their concerns.
Andrew Kenneally
First, I would propose that the City Council host, on a routine basis, a series of town-hall style forums in each one of Boston’s neighborhoods. This would enable city residents to more directly interface with their councilors and give city councilors an opportunity to hear residents’ concerns. As well, I believe that the City Council should create an online home in which residents can participate in online chats with their councilors as well as post feedback either to the body as a whole or particular elected officials. The revamped website would also post items currently on the Council’s docket, including an explanation of the issues entailed and statements from members of the community in support of or opposed to particular proposals. As well, we need to fully harness the power of the latest city management technologies, such as Citistat, to make the delivery of constituent services more efficient and transparent.
Steve Murphy
- I am proud to have authored an ordinance requiring city councilors to disclose their financial interests that passed in city council and was then signed by the mayor earlier this year.
- I was also the main sponsor on reforms to the retirement board
- Working with Council President Ross, the Council continues to use technology to open up even further the city councils policies and procedures.
Ayanna Pressley
- Adopting a program like Citistat such as Somerville uses to measure results and improve efficiency and effectiveness of all City Programs
- Greater budget and spending transparency – putting information online that’s easy for all residents to access and understand
- Implementing and obeying open meeting laws
