Transparency in government refers to making decisions, processes, and information openly available to the public, enabling accountability and informed participation. Transparency mechanisms include open council meetings, published agendas and minutes, accessible budgets and financial reports, proactive disclosure of documents, and easy-to-use online information portals. Freedom of information legislation provides rights to access government records. Transparent government enables citizens to understand how decisions are made, how public money is spent, and how services perform. Transparency builds public trust while enabling oversight. Balancing transparency with legitimate privacy and confidentiality needs requires judgment—personal information, legal advice, and negotiation strategies have recognized exemptions. Modern expectations include open data initiatives making government information available in reusable formats.