Tulsa Earns 3rd Consecutive ‘A+’ Grade for Website Transparency
Tulsa Earns 3rd Consecutive ‘A+’ Grade for Website Transparency
By DEWEY F. BARTLETT, JR.
Mayor, City of Tulsa
For the third year in a row, the City of Tulsa’s website – www.cityoftulsa.org – has received national recognition from the Sunshine Review for transparency in government. Tulsa is among an elite group of 250 government entities in the United States that received an “A+” for full disclosure of online government information.
Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency, announced the annual awards during Sunshine Week, observed this year March 10 – 16. Sunshine Week is a period nationally recognized by media and civic organizations to celebrate strides taken toward open government.
For the 2013 awards, the Sunshine Review analyzed more than 1,000 qualifying government websites and graded each on a 10-Point Transparency Checklist. The checklist included items such as budgets, meetings, lobbying, financial audits, contracts, public records and taxes. Sunshine Review has commended Tulsa for proactively sharing the public information that empowers citizens and keeps government accountable to the people.
Accountability of government is vitally important to citizens, and our efforts to inform and educate the citizens of Tulsa through our website enable us to build relationships and earn taxpayer confidence. We work to update the city’s website, provide informational videos about our programs and services, and share information through social media sites to increase awareness and keep citizens engaged in city government. To remain transparent, the City of Tulsa posts annual databases on the website that are frequently requested through the Freedom of Information Act.
Citizens can find the following information and more on the City of Tulsa website: current permits, monthly commercial and residential permits, financial reports, Grants Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), internal audits, meeting agendas, collective bargaining agreements, Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, city charter, ordinances and executive orders and lists of authorities, boards and commissions.
To view the City of Tulsa’s Sunshine Report, visit: sunshinereview.org.To view the Sunshine Report scores across the nation and for more information about the Sunshine Review, visit: sunshinereview.org.
Updated 03-26-2013
READER COMMENTS
