What is your city doing with the money? It turns out it's hard to get an answer

An article in the Local Democracy Index reveals that budget transparency in Israeli local authorities is low and declining: only 46% of authorities published their current year's budget. New research shows that transparency mediates 72% of the relationship between public trust and financial stability. The leading cities in transparency are Kiryat Bialik, Rishon LeZion, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana, Herzliya, and Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut.

This article, part of the Local Democracy Index by Globes and Penima, deals with the budget transparency of local authorities in Israel. It describes the process of approving the 2027 budget, which involves the treasurer, the finance committee, the council, and the Ministry of Interior, and notes that the public is hardly involved. According to data from Transparency International Israel, the average budget transparency score dropped from 64% to 58% between 2024 and 2025. Only 46% of authorities published their current year's budget, and only 58% published minutes of finance committee meetings. New research by scholars from Sapir Academic College shows that transparency mediates 72% of the relationship between public trust and financial stability. The leading cities in transparency and the democracy index are Kiryat Bialik, Rishon LeZion, Kfar Saba, Ra'anana, Herzliya, and Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut. The article calls on residents, authorities, and the government to act to improve budget transparency.