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Two California urban counties and the state government gain high marks for transparency

After a nationwide analysis of government websites, the Sunshine Review awarded 57 state and local governments and their agencies top scores for transparency. -db

Press Release
April 29, 2010

The best state and local government websites in America for transparency today received a “Sunny Award” from Sunshine Review.

Two California counties were among those winning recognition. The Los Angeles County website was among 16 state governments and local or state agencies to receive a perfect score and the California state government and San Francisco County received an A grade.

Award winners are among 41 out of 5,000 government websites to earn an “A” transparency grade. Sunshine Review’s “Transparency Checklist” analyzes websites for information about budgets, meetings, elected and administrative officials, permits and zoning, audits, contracts, lobbying, public records, and taxes. The “Checklist” measures what content is available on government websites against what should be provided.

“Sunny Award winners deserve recognition for making information available to citizens and for setting a transparency standard that all governments can, and should, meet,” said Mike Barnhart, President of Sunshine Review. “Access to information empowers every citizen to hold government officials accountable for the conduct of the publics’ business and the spending of taxpayers’ money. Official accountability is the corner stone of self government and liberty.”

Since its inception in 2008, Sunshine Review has analyzed the websites of all 50 states, more than 3,140 counties, 805 cities, and 1,560 school districts .

Perfect scores

Anderson County, South Carolina
Carbondale, Illinois
Clayton County, Georgia
Cobb County, Georgia
Davis School District, Utah
Duval County, Florida
Harris County, Texas
Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida
Los Angeles County, California
Massachusetts state website
Owasso, Oklahoma
Seminole County Public Schools, Florida
St. Johns County School District, Florida
Surprise, Arizona
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Washington state website

A grades

Aiken County, South Carolina
Avon Grove School District, Pennsylvania
Brandywine Heights Area School District, Pennsylvania
California state website
Chandler, Arizona
Clay County, Missouri
DuPage County, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Indiana state website
Jordan School District, Utah
Juneau, Alaska
Keller, Texas
Lake County, Illinois
Maine state website

Marion County Public Schools, Florida
New Jersey state website
Palm Beach County School District, Florida
Pennsylvania state website
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Pinal County, Arizona
Richmond County, Georgia
Salt Lake County, Utah
San Francisco County, California
Williamson County, Texas
Wisconsin state website