transparency |
Inclusion |
stewardship |
All the work of the mayor and city council needs to be visible to and shared with the citizens. This can be accomplished by hosting live video stream of city council meetings on the city’s Facebook page; posting on social media to inform the public of upcoming projects and issues, so community members are not surprised by any action or decisions made by the servants at city hall; and not waiting for the citizens to find out what is going on, but be proactive about sharing.
A mayor should keep the city council accountable to the citizens and direct the council’s work openly and ethically. |
The deliberations of the mayor and city council should not be made without substantial effort in researching and seeking out the opinions and feedback of the citizens. Feedback from community members should be received and acknowledged in anyway presented, including, but not limited to: public forums, electronic submissions, verbal communications, or written documents. It is unethical for the public servants of any city to make decisions that benefit a select few without consideration of, or respect for, the other members of the public. Careful considerations should be made to avoid even the appearance of a decision that benefits one or all members of city hall exclusively.
It is also important for local government officials to adapt and make reasonable accommodations for citizens who may not be able to fully participate in or benefit from the services and opportunities of the city because of disability or special needs. |
Revenue, resources, and property acquired by and/or donated to the city inherently belong to the residents of that same city and should be handled and respected as such. Any taxes, bonds, or levies on the public ought to be strictly budgeted to carefully reflect the needs and desired services of the community. Personal use of the city’s resources--including time--by any official or employee, is unlawful. Any and all resources should be handled intentionally and frugally for the growth, progress, and benefit of the city as a whole. This is best accomplished by creating and following clear and well designed short and long term plans.
|