The City of Winnipeg has launched online tools to make it easier for the public to learn about projects in the city.

The Open Budget and Open Capital Projects Dashboard were launched today to give citizens an easy way to access open data provided by the City of Winnipeg.

"These measures will make this council and future councils more accountable to the citizens they serve," said Mayor Brian Bowman.

Bowman says that Winnipeg has become more open with information in the past three years alone, being ranked 20th nationally in the Open Index, up to third this year.

Open Budget will report financial information, including adopted budget and actual costs for all open capital projects. Open Capital Projects Dashboard complements this while giving the public a quick and easy way to access data on capital projects, both current and upcoming.

"These tools are truly innovative," said Cindy Gilroy, chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Innovation. "They eliminate the complexity required to analyze capital projects."

Councillor Mike Pagtakhan believes this information will provide clarity for elected officials and members of the public, allowing Council to make more informed decisions with additional data.

"This is a positive step forward," said Mayor Bowman. "It is absolutely intended to make City Hall much more accessible."

The public can access the dashboard on the City's website.