NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /New York Netwire/ — Remarks by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws: “The final bill before me is Introductory Number 361-A, sponsored by Council Members Brewer, Cabrera, Chin, Dromm, Ferreras, Fidler, Gentile, James, Koppell, Lander, Mealy, Palma, Rose, Sanders, Vacca, Van Bramer, Williams, Rodriguez, Mendez, Nelson, Gennaro, Weprin, Barron, Vallone, Wills, Gonzalez, Garodnick, Halloran, Ulrich and Koo. Introductory Number 361-A requires the Administration to post on the City’s web site all Executive Orders issued since Mayor’s Beame’s time in office, as well as many Memoranda of Understanding issued since July of 2010.
“Making City government more transparent and accessible has been a top priority for our Administration, and the enactment of this legislation is further proof not only of our great work, but also of our lasting collaboration with the Council in achieving these goals. Executive Orders carry the weight of law, and codify the organization and operations of City government and the manner in which it carries out its mission. Memoranda of Understanding, on the other hand, are agreements entered into between City agencies or with outside governmental agencies that outline the cooperation of the involved agencies. Although it is not always appropriate to disclose these memoranda of understanding, for example when they include confidential information, this bill recognizes that they often should be disclosed. These documents are critically important tools for conducting City business – and I am proud today to take steps to make them more accessible to the public.
“I would like to thank the Counselor to the Mayor, Anthony Crowell; Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo; and their staff for their hard work on this bill along with my Office of City Legislative Affairs. I would also like to thank the City Council for approving this legislation.”
