LA Observed: Can Big Data improve City Hall?

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Los Angeles City Hall. Photo by stevecadman via Flickr/CC.

New Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin is using some tools at his disposal to gather information that’s germane to his job.

Galperin’s using a huge database to make comparisons of city spending, including salaries at the Department of Water and Power compared with other LA city employees.

The new data release is shedding some light on how tax dollars are being spent here in the nation’s second largest city – just as the DWP union is entering into contract negotiations with City Hall.

Kevin Roderick from LA Observed joins KCRW’s Steve Chiotakis to discuss the use of data to bring accountability and transparency to City Hall.