LIHU‘E — The recently released 2013 Transparency Report Card gave the Kaua‘i County Council a perfect A-plus score, topping the entire state when comes down to online government transparency. “This was the effort done by the council staff,” said Council
LIHU‘E — The recently released 2013 Transparency Report Card gave the Kaua‘i County Council a perfect A-plus score, topping the entire state when comes down to online government transparency.
“This was the effort done by the council staff,” said Council Chair Jay Furfaro, thanking his staff Wednesday at a council meeting.
Furfaro said the council’s grade reflects an improvement compared to two years ago, when he became chair. At that time, the council was given a C rating on online government transparency by the Sunshine Review, he said.
In the last couple years, and especially during the last year, the council’s staff made several improvements regarding online posting of minutes, agendas, bills, communications, resolutions and broadcasts, according to Furfaro.
The council now wants to improve distributing information and continue building on the foundation they have laid, he said.
There are 10 criteria evaluated by the Sunshine Review: budget, meetings, elected officials, administration officials, permits/zoning, contracts, audits, lobbying, public records and taxes.
The Sunshine Review gave Kaua‘i a perfect score on all criteria, which earned the council an A-plus score.
All counties combined received a C-plus score. Maui received an A-minus, Honolulu received a B-minus and Big Island received a C-minus.
Kalawao County, which is the Kalaupapa Peninsula on Moloka‘i, received an F, which Furfaro said was based on certain federal requirements.
Additionally, the state government website received a B grade, and the state Department of Education website received a C-plus rating.
The Sunshine Review is a nonprofit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency, according to its website. The Sunshine Review wiki collects and shares transparency information and uses a “10-point Transparency Checklist” to evaluate the content of every state and more than 6,000 local government websites.
Sunshine Review is based in Arlington, Va. and was founded in July of 2008, the website states. Its first focus is an awareness-building effort to evaluate the transparency of local government, based on if the websites proactively disclose government data.
Visit www.sunshinereview.org for more information.
