The League of Women Voters of Newton presented its municipal transparency and accountability report to the Programs and Services Committee, urging the city to form an ad hoc citizens commission and to invest staff and fiscal resources in transforming Newton’s website into a proactive transparency tool.

"The League of Women Voters strongly believes that transparency and accountability in government at all levels is vital," Bridal Dweck, co‑president of the League of Women Voters of Newton, told the committee. Dweck described the League’s November 2024 report as a study that identified gaps in available public information and recommended steps the city could take to make records, processes, and fiscal data easier to find and understand.

The League recommended: formation of a citizen commission to produce a roadmap to greater transparency; redesigning the city website to adopt current best practices and open data; improved fiscal transparency using off‑the‑shelf visual platforms (the League cited ClearGov, OpenCheckbook and Visual Budget as examples); and more accessible, attributable meeting records (searchable agendas, full meeting transcripts or minutes, and attendance and vote records). The League emphasized that the effort would require a modest investment of staff time and funds but said the benefits to civic engagement and trust would justify the costs.

Committee members praised the report and compared Newton’s website to sites in peer cities. Several members urged practical next steps (short‑term "quick hits" that require little cost), recommended coordination with IT staff and the incoming administration, and asked the League and staff to help form the charge and membership of any citizens commission. The committee then voted by voice to hold the item for further review and possible referral to a future committee agenda for concrete recommendations.

No formal commitment of funds or specific software was made by the committee at the meeting; members asked staff to provide further analysis on costs, timeline, and which open‑data platforms would integrate best with existing systems.