That wasn’t the case on March 8.
The Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization dedicated to state and local government transparency, on Thursday awarded Illinois with 19 Sunny Awards for websites that provide windows into government activity. Illinois had the third most 2012 Sunny Awards, trailing only Florida and Texas.
Kristin McMurray, managing editor for the Sunshine Review, said the state did so well because of several cities and counties in the state that provide online data such as budgets, audits and vendor contracts.
“I’ve been very impressed by it and a little surprised. Illinois has a reputation,” McMurray said.
McMurray said her organization started the awards as a way to reward states that provide people with information online, and push those that don’t.
McHenry County in northern Illinois was one of the state's winners. This was the second Sunny Award in as many years for the county.
“It’s very consistent with the direction the board has tried to take the county” in terms of open government, McHenry County Administrator Peter Austin said.
Josh Sharp is the director of government relations for the Illinois Press Association, which lobbies for the news industry in the state as well as open government. Sharp said anytime a governmental body is more transparent is good, but he said he isn’t satisfied with their overall openness efforts.
“They’ve got great websites, but the culture of secrecy in … much of Illinois still looms very large. They’ve still got a long way, to go,” Sharp said.
Illinois Sunny Award Winners 2012
- City of Carbondale
- Champaign County
- City of Chicago
- Community Consolidated School District 54
- DuPage County
- Illinois' state website
- City of Evanston
- Kane County
- Lake County
- Madison County
- McHenry County
- New Trier High School
- Rockford School District 205
- Springfield School District 186
- Township High School District 211
- Township High School District 214
- Wheaton Warrenville Unit School District 200
- Will County
- City of Wilmette
