Bloomington enacts online transparency ordinance based on Illinois Policy guidelines

In late October, the city of Bloomington enacted one of the most comprehensive local government online transparency ordinances in the state, and taxpayers should be celebrating their officials’ commitment to open honest governing. By adopting an online transparency ordinance, largely based on the Illinois Policy Institute’s 10-Point Transparency Checklist, Bloomington is taking the strongest possible action...

In late October, the city of Bloomington enacted one of the most comprehensive local government online transparency ordinances in the state, and taxpayers should be celebrating their officials’ commitment to open honest governing.

By adopting an online transparency ordinance, largely based on the Illinois Policy Institute’s 10-Point Transparency Checklist, Bloomington is taking the strongest possible action to ensure permanent public access to information about how government spends taxpayer dollars. The city is proactively fighting public corruption and encouraging citizens to play a more active, educated role in local government.

Sadly, despite Illinois’ longstanding reputation for public corruption, as well as its residents’ lack of trust in government, not all local governments are following Bloomington’s lead.

Earlier this year, neighboring Normal, Ill., failed the same online transparency audit that Bloomington passed. Normal City Manager Mark Peterson criticized the Illinois Policy Institute’s 10-Point Transparency Checklist: “It shouldn’t be up to groups like the Institute to determine what should and shouldn’t be on a city’s website.”

If local governments in Illinois were doing a better job in fighting public corruption and being transparent with their citizens about how taxpayer money is spent, there would be no need for the Institute to create online transparency checklists and audit local government websites.

Taxpayers deserve to know how their local government is spending their tax dollars. Until more comprehensive online transparency laws are enacted statewide, more local governments should follow Bloomington’s lead in adopting permanent online transparency standards.