San Diego Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio today released five years of his personal tax returns, setting the example as he pledges to create the most “open and transparent city government in the nation” through his Transparency Plan proposals.

DeMaio also called out his opponent Congressman Bob Filner for failing to release his tax returns and disclose all his campaign contributors. In several interviews during the Primary, Filner refused repeated requests from the media to make such disclosures – even though he hypocritically calls on others to do so.

“The public has a right to know what is going on at City Hall and San Diego’s next Mayor must lead by example in creating a culture of public transparency,” DeMaio said as he discussed his comprehensive Transparency Plan. “Congressman Bob Filner has repeatedly rejected transparency – hiding campaign donors and refusing to release his income taxes even while hypocritically calling on others to do so. The public rightfully asks, ‘What’s Bob Filner hiding?’”

DeMaio has been an open government reformer for years, and has a record of winning bipartisan support for his transparency reforms at City Hall. As Mayor, DeMaio will continue his open government reform efforts by implementing his Transparency Plan which includes:

*Posting all City Contracts Online: Full-text of all contracts worth $25,000 or above (or contractors receiving a cumulative $25,000 or above in contracts) will be posted online in a searchable and well-organized format.

*Full Disclosure of All Campaign Contributions: DeMaio will require every campaign contributor to be disclosed – a policy DeMaio has self-imposed for years.

*Post Quarterly Performance Updates Online: DeMaio will require that each city department post its performance measures online with quarterly updates for the public to track the city’s progress.

*Posting City Employee Compensation and Pensions Online: While protecting employee privacy and obscuring their identity, the compensation will be more detailed than currently available: broken down by base pay, overtime, specialty pays, and bonuses.

“The best way to hold government accountable is to open up every decision and expenditure to public transparency,” DeMaio said. “To achieve that at all levels at City Hall, we must expect our elected leaders to set the example and commit to maximum transparency themselves,” DeMaio concluded.