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The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) recently earned a Gold Leadership Circle Award from the Texas comptroller’s office for online "financial transparency."

METRO received 13 out of 15 points on the office’s rating criteria. In recent months, the agency has taken several steps to provide better access to its financial and budgetary information, such as posting its check register online with weekly updates, posting procurement card transactions online and improving website navigation so financial data is easier to locate.

“A priority of the new METRO is to restore public trust and confidence, and a critical means to achieving that is greater openness and transparency,” said Chairman Gilbert Garcia in a prepared statement.

The agency has taken other steps to improve transparency, as well, including posting live webcasts of all board and committee meetings, and various documents, such as budget presentations, the chief executive officer’s employment agreement and findings by investigatory bodies.