Website: http://www.billforaustin10.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billforaustin10
Twitter: @BillforAustin10

Campaign Finance Data Challenge: declined

Open Data

Many of these issues, such as the Open Data Portal and Open Government Resolution, are discussed in our Open Government Briefing Guide.

⇒ 1. How will you encourage City departments to comply with the Open Government Resolution and place useful data on the open data portal on a timely basis?

Compliance should be made part of the performance review process for department heads, and the city manager should be accountable for department head performance.

⇒ 2. How would you evaluate departments' compliance with the Open Government Resolution? Would you support a resolution to create a quarterly report card?

I suggest rewarding compliance and good performance by minimizing the reporting burden, but ensuring escalating reporting requirements for non-compliant departments.

⇒ 3. Would you support a resolution to require that any software or software services purchased by the City must be accompanied by an open data plan that indicates how public data managed by that system will be made available to the public?

Yes

Innovation Office

⇒ 4. This past March, the City hired its first Chief Innovation Officer. What are the specific functions and initiatives you would like to see out of this office to advance the City's open government and open data efforts?

Improve ease of access to timely information and data access through City portals.

Simply and graphically articulate the revenue and expenditure items in the City’s budget.

Ensure that the work product of the land development code rewrite is implemented in the most user-friendly manner possible.

Website and Online Services

⇒ 5. What steps would you take to help ensure the City of Austin website provides the tools and information that citizens and community groups want?

Institute a comment/complaint tracking and resolution program.

⇒ 6. Would you support action to create an online issue feedback/reporting system, where a citizen could report an issue with the City's website and other online properties, and track city response to that issue?

Yes

⇒ 7. There are strong benefits to providing city information and services online. Many residents, however, experience barriers to access. (See discussion of "Digital Inclusion" in our Open Government Briefing Guide.) What do you see as the City's responsibility regarding digital inclusion, and what steps would you take to address these concerns?

City information and services should be provided online to the greatest possible extent, while traditional means should continue for the time being.

Open Data Exercise: Campaign Finance Filings

The City of Austin currently posts candidate and office holder financial statements as scanned facsimiles (PDF format) of the filed, attested documents. In 2012, the City Council approved a resolution to post these filings in a searchable, digital form.

⇒ 8. What would you do to ensure this project is completed before the next municipal election?

The format of the existing form is not user friendly. The financial statement can be provided by the city in a searchable, digital format for candidate completion. Council should direct the city manager to accomplish this task with existing resources.

⇒ 9. Will you publicly post your campaign receipts and expenditures (as reported to the City on form C/OH) online, in CSV spreadsheet data format, within 30 days of filing a report with the Austin City Clerk? Where will you post it?

If elected, I will be happy to provide an open spreadsheet of receipts and expenditures to Open Austin to post as you see fit.