Council asks staff to publish monthly check register and quarterly general-ledger payment report

Following requests from the public, the Amarillo City Council on May 27 directed finance staff to prepare a plan for publishing city payments. Staff proposed two options: a quickly produced monthly check register that lists checks and ACHs originating from an operating bank account, and a more comprehensive general-ledger report that would include wire transfers and other forms of payment but requires more redaction and review.

Finance staff recommended publishing a monthly check register promptly and producing a quarterly general-ledger report that contains all payment types after a reconciliation and targeted redactions (for example, account numbers or personal employee identifiers). Council members asked staff to produce sample output and suggested staff circulate drafts to the council and to the public for feedback before the item is posted online. The finance director said the city's recent software migration (go-live Jan. 1) makes production of these reports more feasible and that the team would work to minimize manual redaction while protecting confidential data.

Why this matters: Publishing payment data is a transparency priority for residents and watchdogs; it helps auditors and the public track where tax dollars are spent. Council asked staff to move cautiously to protect confidential information while maximizing the public's ability to see spending.

What's next: Staff will prepare a draft monthly check-register report and a sample quarterly general-ledger report, send them to council members for review and return with a recommended publication schedule and redaction rules at an upcoming meeting. Council suggested staff aim to provide samples to members individually before the next council session.