The City of Hamilton has received recognition for its proactive transparency by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

At an awards breakfast last week held as part of the International Day for Universal Access to Information — and the tenth anniversary of Bermuda’s public access to information legislation coming into effect — the ICO commended the City for its open governance approach.

The ICO noted the City’s practice of publishing board and committee agendas, meeting minutes, audited financial statements, and budgets, ensuring the information is in the public domain before any requests are made.

Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, said that transparency had long been a focal point for the administration, stating that one of his first acts in office in 2009 was opening council and committee meetings to the public.

He said: “We didn’t just want people to watch; we wanted them to participate.

“That’s why we also created opportunities for members of the public to make presentations to council or the appropriate committee.

“Transparency is one of our core values as an organisation and we are proud of the example we set.

“Today, we don’t just publish our minutes and agendas, we also share our annual reports, City ordinances, strategic plans, audited financials, tenders and RFPs, and all of our press releases.

“In fact, we began publishing an annual report last year precisely to strengthen accountability and make it easier for the public to access information about how the City is run.”

Mr Gosling thanked the ICO for its recognition and said the City would continue to maintain a high standard of openness, accountability and community service.