BAD:

It didn’t seem to surprise some local officials that their municipality’s website got a failing grade on a recent report card.

The Empire Center for Public Policy recently released a SeeThroughNY Website Report Card examining 500 websites for contact information, spending date, labor contracts and public meeting records, and the ease of locating those items. Local municipalities included in the evaluation all flunked.

  • Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri said the city realized “from Day 1” that something had to be done to its website. Of the maximum 146 points a municipality could receive, Utica got a 56 — an “F”.
  • New Hartford Town Board councilman Paul Miscione said its website isn’t user-friendly and “doesn’t give (residents) anything they can actually use and it’s very hard to navigate because it has no structure.” It scored a 41.
  • Little Falls Deputy City Treasurer Kathy Prestopnik said a volunteer started its website, but she left and now there is no one to maintain it. A volunteer would be welcome. It received no points in the categories of public information, budgets, financial reports, contracts, taxes and fees, expenditures, and facilities and services.

Municipal websites aren’t required by law. But they can be a terrific tool for providing information and a great resource for taxpayers who want to stay in touch with their government. Municipalities should make it a priority.

© 2014 Utica Observer-Dispatch

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