Anchorage Assembly leaders want it to be easier for residents to see how the municipality is spending public money.
contracts, because you need both pieces of that information to get the full picture of what’s happening.”Open checkbooks are seen as a user-friendly way of expanding access to public documents that are typically only accessible by submitting a records request to municipal officials, a cumbersome process often hampered by work backlogs and a drain on employees’ work hours.
The open checkbook measure will be introduced at the Assembly’s regular meeting on Feb. 7. If approved, it would require the tool to be set up by Jan. 1, 2024. According to the draft language, the site would be maintained by the Information and Technology Department, “in conjunction with the chief fiscal officer, finance department, purchasing department, and office of management and budget,” and would be free to use for the public.