Anchorage Assembly directs city to create online checkbook to increase transparency

The Anchorage Meeting voted Tuesday night time to make metropolis monetary transactions and contracts obtainable on-line. 

The transfer comes amid issues from Meeting members concerning the period of time it’s taken them to get monetary data via information requests to Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration.

Meeting vice chair Chris Fixed stated the monetary data needs to be public and simply accessible. He launched the ordinance, handed unanimously Tuesday, that directs town to create a web based checkbook, just like a device utilized by the state. 

“Data which can be public like this needs to be made public by default and never by request,” Fixed stated. “As a result of we’ve seen, of late, that sure paperwork that ought to take 15 to twenty minutes to seek out within the municipal information are taking weeks and months.”

Meeting members have additionally raised issues about how the Bronson administration has carried out contracts. In January, a bombshell letter from ousted Municipal Supervisor Amy Demboski described allegations that Bronson had improperly granted contracts with out Meeting approval. 

Bronson expressed assist for the creation of a web based checkbook throughout Tuesday’s assembly.

“The execution of it is likely to be a bit complicated within the very close to time period,” Bronson stated. “I feel it’s an IT challenge proper now. However once more, we clearly assist this.”

The ordinance directs town to determine the web checkbook earlier than Jan. 1 of subsequent 12 months. Creating the checkbook is anticipated to price town lower than $30,000.