From Oakland Local: In late June, Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission (PEC) took a leadership role in building better government in Oakland by holding an impressive forum with some great speakers and kicking off a year-long effort to make city government more transparent and accessible for all citizens. The working definition of transparency for this project includes open and accessible data, which promotes accountability of elected officials and government employees.
Whitney Barazoto, the Executive Director of the PED, told Oakland Local, “Open government is at the core of the PEC’s goal of ensuring openness, honesty, and integrity in City government. Our Transparency Project taps the momentum from City staff and community members working together around projects that open up our government and focuses on community needs and participation.”