Crosstown Coalition: 03. TRANSPARENCY AND EFFICIENCY

LOBBYIST DISCLOSURE

In the first three months of your administration, would you ask City Council to introduce legislation modeled after Pennsylvania’s Lobbying Disclosure Act of 2006 requiring that, lobbyists, including lawyers acting as lobbyists, who lobby with your administration, City Council and its staff, or any City boards or agencies register and report semi-annually their lobbying contacts and the sources and amounts of their compensation? If not, why not?

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

PERSONAL PROMISE RE: CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE

Do you undertake to post on your campaign website by May 1 the identity of any contributor who, since June 30, 2006, has made a contribution in excess of $250.00 to any funds used by your mayoral campaign and also post your state campaign disclosure reports contemporaneously with their filing with the Commonwealth?

Would you also favor such disclosures for all elected city officials? If not, why not?

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

BUDGET TRANSPARENCY

92% of those surveyed stated it was important to present a budget displaying bottom-line figures for the costs of city services. For example, the current budget lists police pensions as a separate line item dealing with pensions for all employees rather than allocating this expense to the cost of policing.

a. Are you willing to publish a budget that details the total cost of each governmental activity such as sanitation, police, recreation, etc? If not, why not? If so, how would you implement this revision and when would it be implemented?

b. Will you commit to a budget process where all planned expenditures are included and supplemental appropriations go through the same public comment and hearing process as the main budget?

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

KNOX: Budget Transparency

I am committed to a budgeting process that is both open and details programmatic costs. Philadelphians deserve to know how much municipal initiatives cost and, above all, City Hall has an obligation to be open, honest, and accountable about how it spends money.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

ACCESS TO CITY HALL

Citizens’ interactions with City government would be made much more transparent and efficient by (a) publishing a directory of city agencies on the web with phone numbers and email addresses; and (b) developing provisions for applying for City permits and applications and paying taxes online.

Will you provide online access to your administration’s telephone, email and street address book within three months of assuming office? Will you create online access for applications, permits and taxes by the second year of your administration? If not, why not?

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

NUTTER: Access to City Hall

Yes. In addition, I will establish a 311 call center to target resources on non-police or –fire emergencies and improve service delivery on the entire portfolio of municipal services. Up to one-third of calls placed to 911 in Philadelphia are non-emergencies regarding illegal parking, animal complaints, loud noise, etc. Although these are important quality of life issues that add to disorder and must be dealt with in an efficient manner, they are currently made on the 911 line.

The establishment of a 311 line would allow citizens to log requests for services and create the basis for tracking performance. It is a powerful tool that creates important opportunities for improved municipal services across the board. These 311 services create a management tool for increasing that service efficiency and will reduce police and fire response time to genuine emergency calls to 911.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

BRADY: Access to City Hall

As stated above, I will create a one stop shop for those who desire to open a business within the City of Philadelphia. As Mayor, I will work to expand the core principle of this initiative, customer service, to all aspects of City government. For Philadelphia to be truly successful in this new century, our government must transform itself into a organization focused on the people it serves.

As Mayor, I will work to lead a new revolution, one which reinvents government and brings antiquated clerical practices into the modern age.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

EVANS: Access to City Hall

Yes, I will support opening up access to city hall by publishing much more information on the City’s web site and providing for more city services via the web.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

FATTAH: Access to City Hall

I have laid out an ambitious plan to expand citizen access to City Hall, including developing new ways to apply for permits and applications and paying taxes online. I am also interested in making the city’s website more user-friendly by making the directory of city agencies and offices, with their contact information, more easily accessible.

Finally, I have pledged to bring City Hall to every Councilmanic District on a quarterly basis, spending a full day working with senior officials to conduct city business in the District and holding meetings with citizens.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

KNOX: Access to City Hall

Open information is the key to ensuring accountability. I pledge to do all of the above as mayor. Philadelphians deserve open information and ease of access in dealing with City Hall.

WANT TO COMMENT? Learn how to add your comments.

Crosstown Coalition

Thursday, April 5, 2007

LOBBYIST DISCLOSURE

PERSONAL PROMISE RE: CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE

BUDGET TRANSPARENCY

KNOX: Budget Transparency

ACCESS TO CITY HALL

NUTTER: Access to City Hall

BRADY: Access to City Hall

EVANS: Access to City Hall

FATTAH: Access to City Hall

KNOX: Access to City Hall

Labels

New Comments

About this Blog