Publishing municipal budgets in plain language would do more for public trust than any new committee.
Every year, municipal councils approve budgets that shape the roads we drive on and the water we drink. Very few residents ever see them.
This is not a technical problem. It is a choice. A plain-language budget summary, published online and posted at the district office, would cost almost nothing.
When people can see where the money goes, they are far more willing to contribute.
The views expressed are the author’s own.