WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia mayor's office is requiring staffers to sign nondisclosure agreements banning them from discussing potential cost-saving and revenue-raising measures.

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The Washington Post reports that nearly 100 employees have been given the confidentiality agreements by Suzanne Peck, who's leading a top-to-bottom performance review of district government.

Brian Flowers, general counsel to Mayor Vincent Gray, says he probably wouldn't have recommended the agreements if he'd known about them beforehand. Gray promised during his campaign to make district government more transparent.

Peck declined to comment. Linda Wharton Boyd, a spokeswoman for the mayor, says the purpose of the agreements is to support "the creative exchange of ideas." She says disclosure of the ideas may result in them becoming misconstrued as policy initiatives.