Brighton Standard Blade: Councilors claiming their fingers aren’t in cookie jars, fliers about water money at barbecues, and videos cast on the city’s Twitter. These are just a few examples of a new trend sweeping the city: transparency.

The idea of transparency, defined as openness, clarity and freedom of information, is commonplace when talking about municipal politics. However, the idea has been brought to the forefront in Brighton by recent events.

The termination of former City Manager Philip Rodriguez and discussion on utilities funds has caused residents to feel confused and misled, resulting in a demand for more information.

In response, city officials have perked up in their seats, become more outspoken and have generally been more deliberate about sending the message that there’s nothing to hide.

Visit Brighton Standard Blade for more.