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Alexandria, Virginia

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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials P
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Administrative Officials Y
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Permits, zoning Y
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Audits Y
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Contracts P
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Lobbying Y
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Public records Y
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Local taxes Y
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Transparency grading process


Alexandria is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is considered a county-equivalent for census purposes.
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Contents

Website evaluation

In 2011, the Alexandria earned a Sunny Award for having a perfect website transparency score.

Last rated on Fed. 2, 2012

The good

  • Current budget is published.[1]
  • Meetings are are listed on the calendar.[2] Dockets, webcasts, and podcasts are available for download.[3]
  • Zoning ordinance available in municipal code.[4]
  • Building permits available.[5]
  • Information and forms to request records under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act is provided.[6]
  • Annual financial audit available.[7]
  • Has a comprehensive guide to local taxes.[8]
  • Administrative officials are listed with contact information.[9]
  • Bids for future contracts are posted, current contracts are not online.[10]
  • Includes a link to the Virginia Municipal League, which lists the city as a member [11]

The bad

  • City council members are listed with methods of contact,[12] but email communication is only available through a web form.
  • Current contracts are not online.

Alexandria Police Department

According to an investigation by Connections Newspaper reporter Michael Pope, the police departments of Fairfax County, Alexandria, and Arlington are among the most secretive and non-transparent in the country. According to the reports, the departments' interpretation of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act in effect allows them reject nearly all information requests. [13] [14]

External links

References

  1. ↑ Budget
  2. ↑ Calendar
  3. ↑ Meeting Information
  4. ↑ Municipal Code
  5. ↑ Permits
  6. ↑ FOIA Procedures
  7. ↑ Accounting
  8. ↑ Guide to Taxes
  9. ↑ Contact Us
  10. ↑ Procurement
  11. ↑ Local Government Members
  12. ↑ Council
  13. ↑ "Trust Me: You Can Trust Us", Reason Magazine, August 30, 2010
  14. ↑ "Transparency Blackout: Police departments in Northern Virginia refuse to release public documents", Alexandria Gazette Packet, March 18, 2010
Retrieved from "http://sunshinereview.org/index.php?title=Alexandria,_Virginia&oldid=18089"
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