Transparency
10 articles

Local government budget cuts will cripple public services without transparency in 2026.
Mayor Wu proposed a 27 percent cut to the FY27 budget for the Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture, leaving programs in limbo despite calls for greater fiscal transparency, according to the Boston Art Rev

Local Budget Processes: Rigged, With Suppressed Citizen Scrutiny
Councilors in some local governments are explicitly barred from asking questions during budget presentations that demand background or longer responses, reports Concord Monitor .

6 U Report: Why Its Contents Remain Unknown
As Sophie Nguyen, a journalist for City & Local, I often find myself diving deep into reports that shape our community.

Google Maps Prompts Reviewers to Disclose Paid Reviews
A local restaurant owner recently encountered a new prompt on Google Maps asking if their glowing 5-star review was paid, signaling a significant shift in how online endorsements are policed.

U.S. Attorney Reforms Grand Jury Rules After Broadview 6 Case
Charges against the 'Broadview Six' were dismissed after prosecutors failed to disclose critical grand jury transcripts, triggering the 'most substantial and significant changes in decades' to federal

The Assurance Group: 2026 presence, community impact transparency
While The Assurance Group proudly serves all fifty states and maintains an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, specific details of its community investments remain largely out of the public spo

Tulsa Imposes Moratorium on New Data Centers Until 2026
Despite a citywide moratorium on new data center developments in Tulsa, Project Anthem remains exempt.

Local governments hide urban development plans from citizens
Anti-data center protests erupted in downtown Kansas City and Independence, Missouri, revealing widespread citizen frustration with urban development decisions made without adequate public input.

City planning failure: Resident voices ignored, despite transparency efforts.
A proposal to reinstate annual winter parking restrictions in Geneva, New York, with overnight bans from 2 a.

Citizen Advocacy Shapes City Planning in 2026
After public and city council concerns mounted, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson ended the city's contract with surveillance company Flock Safety, demonstrating the direct power of citizen advocacy in