League of Women Voters of Newton to assess city’s transparency and accountability

The League of Women Voters of Newton will spend the next year assessing the city’s municipal transparency and accountability, the organization said.

“The League strongly believes that transparency and accountability in government — at all levels — is vital for a wide variety of reasons,” the organization said in a statement, such as encouraging civic engagement, improving services, and monitoring the actions of governmental bodies and elected officials.

The league’s Municipal Transparency and Accountability Initiative will focus on several key areas, including a review of information that tracks the mayor’s initiatives and priorities, such as spending of pandemic federal funds and implementation of recommendations from local task forces.

It will examine City Council activities, such as the voting history of councilors and attendance at meetings, and the status of docket items, the statement said.

The review also will look at details such as the city’s budget and finance data, public safety statistics like response times to emergency calls, and information about the city’s affordable housing stock, the league said.

The league also will seek input from local groups and organizations.

“LWVN invites representatives of Newton groups and organizations to share their experiences with and views about transparency and accountability in Newton by responding to a brief survey,” it said.

The league said it would share the results of its review with the Newton community in 2023.