Transparency and Open Government

ESO promised to provide comparative evaluation data for the Web Sites in the nearby counties.   WARNING – Essex County, as of mid-June 2012 did not compare well with the nearby Board of Supervisors (BOS) or nearby School Boards (SB) in the critical measures of TRANSPARENCY and OPEN GOVERNMENT! 

Please note that the Essex County SB launched the preliminary portion of their new web site on Tuesday, 26 June.  Their original goal was to release the new site on 30 June.  The SB, the School Administration, and particularly the Data Systems staff have made a considerable step forward.  Also, keep in mind that a number of the features and accesses to information announced as goals have still not been released.

It's ESO's opinion that a lot of sunshine is needed to make the electronic communications process of governance TRANSPARENT and OPEN in Essex County!  We'll show you what shutters should be opened, what shades to pull up, and the drapes to be pulled open.

First the SB.  Based upon the review and report by Sunshine Review, a nationally recognized independent transparency and open government advocacy web based organization, Essex County received a D Grade and ranks last among eight (8) counties in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.  The summary table provides an overview:  PLEASE double click in the center of the space below to view the table.

The old (prior to 26 June 2012) Essex SB web site is the basis for the rating.  ESO considers that improvements have been made.   But because the new web site is still under development, we will not request Sunshine Review to evaluate the new site until October 2012.

Some of the essential missing information includes (opening shutters, pulling up shades, and opening drapes):

• A School Board Calendar for the July to June school and budget year.  All planned regular and Budget Meetings should be included

• A procedure to announce special and emergency SB meetings and budget meetings to the  public. The Code of Virginia requires that an announcement be made but doesn't mandate a specific procedure for the notification.

• Timely publication of all BOS meeting minutes. The Code of Virginia requires publication of the  preliminary/draft minutes within five (5) working days of each meeting.

• Improve the Budgets process. Establish procedures to seek public involvement earlier in the budget development cycle, provide much more budget information as required by the Code of Virginia, and publish the draft budget on the web site. 

The list is much longer than space permits; therefore, our focus will shift to the BOS.

The Essex County BOS web site received a D- Grade and ranked last among eight (8) counties in the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck.  PLEASE double click in the center of the space below to view the table.  The summary table provides an overview: 

The BOS web site is missing many documents, publications, etc.  The overall appearance and navigation are badly outdated.  The only bright spots are the Treasurer's Office and the Commissioner's Office which offer online access to key information and functions. 

A short list of some essential missing information includes (opening shutters, pulling up shades, and opening drapes):

• A BOS Calendar for the July to June administration and budget year.  All planned monthly and Budget meetings should be included

• A procedure to announce special and emergency BOS meetings and budget meetings to the public. The Code of Virginia requires that an announcement be made by doesn't mandate a procedure.

• Timely publication of all SB meeting minutes. The Code of Virginia requires publication of the preliminary/draft minutes within five (5) working days of each meeting.

* Improve the Budgets process. Establish procedures to seek public involvement earlier in the budget development cycle, provide much more budget information as required by the Code of Virginia, and publish the draft budget on the web site.          

The entire BOS list is much longer than the one for the SB.  That is no surprise because the assigned Grade was just barely above an F.  


 The SB has taken the initiative in open government and transparency while the person(s) responsible for the BOS web site, despite recommendations to do so, appear(s) to be complacent.

Communications is a common theme in issues which require attention by the BOS and the SB.  EOS is not aware of any initiatives to add Face Book or Twitter (or BOTH) to their communication with the public.  It is EOS's belief that a reliance on the "way things have always been done" is a decision to be uncompetitive in economic development.  It is a decision not to recognize that many citizens under 40 and most citizens under 25 seek information and communicate through digital devices.  It at a minimum is a failure to open the shutters, pull up the shades, and pull open the drapes.  Those failures will keep the public in the dark.

More information about letting sunshine into the Essex County Government will follow.


Clickener and data from Sunshine Review