Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and City Attorney Nina Hickson were recognized at the Georgia First Amendment Foundation’s Weltner Freedom of Information Award Banquet for the Administration’s transparency reforms. Last month, legislation proposed by Mayor Bottoms created the city’s first ever Transparency Officer role which, among other responsibilities, oversees and assists in the enforcement of citywide compliance with the requirements of the Georgia Open Records Act.
According to a press release issued by the city, last month’s transparency legislation also set new standards for how the city handles open records requests and launched the creation of a new website that allows media partners and citizens to submit and track open records requests. Also last month, Mayor Bottoms’ legislation requiring paid lobbyists to be registered with the Municipal Clerk became law. These reforms followed the launch of Open Checkbook, an online financial portal that allows the public to track how tax dollars are spent.
During the awards banquet, City Attorney Nina Hickson received special recognition for her efforts in upholding the city’s open government policies.
“The city’s success is built upon the foundation of trust between government and the citizens it serves,” said Hickson in a statement. “It is an honor to work with Mayor Bottoms and the administration to continue to raise the city’s open government standards.”
Information: atlantaga.gov
About the Author
