(MINEOLA, NY) – October 6, 2016 – This morning, Thursday, October 6, 2016, Reclaim New York was joined by transparency leaders, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, and Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, to launch new tools to empower New Yorkers to hold government accountable. Reclaim New York’s statewide database of local government spending is the first of its kind in New York, and the group’s new transparency standards give both public officials and taxpayers guidelines for making government more open and accessible.
The new tools are part of Reclaim New York’s unprecedented New York Transparency Project that is using the Freedom of Information Law to obtain spending information from New York’s 3,400-plus government entities.
Below are the opening remarks by Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos:
“I would like to welcome Mr. Brandon Muir of Reclaim New York and the Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel to Nassau County for the launch of the first statewide database of local government spending I am delighted to join with both in leading by example to make governments at every level, more transparent and more responsive to residents.Residents and the Press have a right to get any and all information they inquire in a manner that is readily available online and friendly to use through electronic means. Governments have a legal and a moral obligation to be transparent in conducting the people’s business.
The initiative by Reclaim New York to establish transparency standards and database tools for public spending will make governments more open and accessible and will be a breakthrough in helping to begin the process of restoring trust in government. Governments will be able to more easily post their spending information and the public will be able have better access to the information. Governments that don’t participate will have to explain to their voters.
We are honored to be recognized by Reclaim New York as leaders in this important endeavor for making available online all Nassau County contracts and claims.
The Nassau County Comptroller’s Office will continue to lead in this regard as a model for other municipalities to follow by being the first to adopt the standards and tools recommended by Reclaim New York.”