PORTLAND- Oregon’s government website recently received a C- grade from the Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization promoting state and local government transparency.
The evaluation was based on the websites’ content, including the state’s budget, elected officials, administrative officials, ethics, audits, contracts, lobbying, public records, and taxes, as well as on the sites’ usability.
Oregon.gov, the state government’s transparency site, scored well in providing access to many of the categories above, yet it lacked an easy-to-navigate format and did not include lobbying and other current contracts.
Each county government website was also evaluated, with the county sites receiving a collective D grade. These low marks were due to a lack of information on county contracts, lobbying, public records, and taxes.
Counties receiving the highest marks included Columbia and Coos counties, which adequately included almost all the elements judged by the Sunshine Review. Those ranking the worst were Gilliam and Grant counties, which had no county website at all.
The tri-county area governments each received low marks, with incomplete or no information on meetings, contracts, lobbying, and public records. Additionally, Washington County lacked information on permits, audits, and taxes. Multnomah County did not show information on audits, and Clackamas County did not list information on taxes.
