County gets graded on Web site

Study looks at information features

Ronica Shannon

The amount of information available on a county’s Web site speaks volumes about the transparency of its government, according to a recent study conducted as a project of the Sam Adams Alliance, and Madison County’s site failed the test.

The Sam Adams Alliance focuses on training and encouraging people and governments to use new media tools in order to better reach the intended audience.

The Sunshine Review, a publication of the Sam Adams Alliance, graded all Kentucky county Web sites based on the availability of 10 informational features: budget, meetings, elected officials, administrative officials, permits/zoning, audits, contracts, lobbying, public records and tax rates.

According to the Sunshine Review’s findings, Kentucky’s most transparent county is Jefferson, meeting eight of the 10 Web site requirements.

The study revealed that 93 of Kentucky’s 120 counties, including Madison, only met five or less of the 10 requirements.

It also was revealed that 15 counties in the state do not have a Web site. These counties include: Bourbon, Bracken, Clark, Crittenden, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Laurel, Marshall, Owsley, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Webster and Wolfe.

The Web site for the Madison Fiscal Court can be found at www.madisoncountyky.us. 

It features the county’s motto, which is “Live, Learn, Grow.”

Even though the Web site did not pass the requirements of the Sam Adams Alliance, there still is an abundance of information that can be found at the site.

The site met four of the study’s 10 requirement, including a list of government meetings, elected officials, administrative officials and permits/zoning information.

Other information available on Madison County government’s Web site includes a list of community events, contacts for all county departments, a list of a variety of county services and information for visitors.

An especially helpful feature is a link titled “I Want To...” that lets citizens choose: Map It, Apply For, Find, View, Contact or Request.

“The Sunshine Review community believes every county in the nation has a responsibility to make basic information easily available to the taxpayer,” said Kristin McMurray, managing editor of the Sunshine Review. “We urge Kentucky residents to use the results of these evaluations to push for reform in their counties.”

Visit www.sunshinereview.org to see a list of all counties in the state and how they rank.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.