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Hoping to quell the controversy over charging Salt Lake City for alcohol, food and private club fees purchased at the Grand America Hotel this summer, Rocky Anderson has reimbursed the city $458.

That's something the mayor refused to do earlier. But by Friday night he had changed his mind: "This is the best way to handle it. It's doing what I think is the right thing at this point, just to move on."

And while the mayor said he still believes he was right to provide "good Salt Lake City hospitality" to visiting mayors by paying that large bill, Anderson issued a statement saying the reimbursement is in "recognition that written city policy in effect at the time prohibited the purchase of alcoholic beverages with city funds."

Anderson has since eliminated the alcohol prohibition. And on Friday he unveiled a new policy that will allow the public easier access to view expenses he and other city employees charge taxpayers. The city will post the expenses - from meals, to travel costs, to tuition, to entertainment - online. An Expense Review Committee will scrutinize those charges and issue a public report twice a year.

The mayor said the new policy is an effort to provide transparency and accountability. He signed the policy Friday, though it won't start until Jan. 1. However, Anderson plans to post all of his expenses accrued since he entered office in 2000. He calculates he has spent an average of $90.12 a month on meals, entertainment and other expenses - or about $6,300 total.

The public can review city employee expenses now, but must first submit an open records request.

Anderson's policy doesn't apply to the City Council or its staff.

City Councilman Eric Jergensen supports Anderson's new expense policy and said he would be willing to post his city expenses online. "Government needs to be as transparent as possible."

The Expense Review Committee will include three members: one appointed by the mayor, one by the City Council and a third appointed by the first two members. In addition to reviewing city employees' expenses, they will look at reimbursements paid to city-appointed board and commission members.

In July, Anderson charged his city credit card $457.88 for a tab at the Grand America, which included $10 cover charges, food and alcohol, he said. He was entertaining three mayors and their spouses from Louisiana, California and Georgia, along with some of his friends. The mayors were in town for an environmental conference, which coincided with the start of the city's International Jazz Festival. Anderson also paid $175.86 for food and drinks at Squatters Brewery during the jazz festival, but the mayor won't reimburse that, saying it was "a sit-down dinner," and the bill was mostly for food.

Anderson readily concedes he has purchased alcohol with the city credit card before, saying he didn't know it was against city policy at the time, though he signed the policy in 2003. He said he didn't read the section prohibiting alcohol.

Most of Anderson's credit card statements and receipts he has submitted to the city since 2000 provide only the total amount charged. He said Friday that he plans to now keep itemized receipts so the public can review the breakdown.

Friday's announcement comes on the heels of the Salt Lake County Republican Party's call for a criminal investigation of Anderson.

The party chairman and longtime Anderson foe, James Evans, says the mayor misused public funds by purchasing alcohol.