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City of San Marcos Open Government Guidelines Government functions best when it is open, inclusive, responsive and accountable for its actions. Communities are strong when residents understand and participate in the civic process, have access to good, clear information, and are able to place confidence in their public officials. Openness in government is the basis for accountability, improved decision - making, public trust, and informed participation. The principle of open, transparent government reaches virtually every aspect of the City of San Marcos' operations from the adoption of an ordinance to the posting of an annual budget or the way the City disseminates information to citizens. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a centralized focus for the City's ongoing efforts to provide greater transparency, openness and collaboration. The City continues to research best practices in the public and private sectors and, with the assistance from the community, has developed guidelines and strategies for implementation that focus on the following Best Practices areas: (1) Documentation and Records Management. Transparency requires appropriate, easy -to- understand documentation of City actions. Good documentation provides accountability and clarity as well as the basis for the actions that have been taken. (2) Financial Transparency. The City will continue to make the budget process transparent and readily accessible to the public. The City will post as much information as possible related to the budget, as well as the budget itself, on the website. The City already makes available to the public a wide range of budget information including City contracts and City checkbook. The City will continue to assess how this information could be more easily accessible. (3) Proactive Provision of Policy Information. The City will provide opportunities for citizen input early in decision - making processes and utilize various methods to better notify the public regarding contemplated actions by the City. The City continues to respond to written citizen requests under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) as it applies to existing records. (4) "Understandability" of City Communications and City Code Provisions. The City will endeavor to use understandable language in writing City Codes, Council agendas and ordinances. Items should be consistently worded so they are easily tracked throughout the consideration process. When possible, project titles should reflect project scope or identifiable area. 1