Evaluation of Iowa county websites



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Action steps

1 Reading the chart
2 Conclusions chart
- 2.1 2012
- 2.2 2009
3 Comparison chart of all county websites
4 Correcting errors

What information can people find on their county's website in Iowa?

This page captures a snapshot of the information contributed by Sunshine Review users after they've studied the information made available on Iowa county websites.

See also: County websites, state-by-state comparison, to compare what you can find on Iowa's county websites to what can be found on county websites in other states.

Reading the chart

In the chart below:

	means that information is included on the government website
	means that the information was not provided on the government website
P	means that information was partially provided

Check the Sunshine Review page about each county for more detailed information about what information is available on the county website, along with recommendations SR users have made for positive changes.

See sample transparency legislation at the Sunshine Standard

Conclusions chart

2012

In January 2012, Sunshine Review rated the five largest counties which averaged a "B" website transparency grade.

	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Permits/ Zoning?	Audits?	Contracts?	Lobbying?	Public records?	Taxes?
Y	4	5	5	3	4	5	3	2	1	5
P	1	0	0	1	1	0	1	1	0	0
N	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	2	4	0

Comparison chart

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Black Hawk County, Iowa	C	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Johnson County, Iowa	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y
Linn County, Iowa	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	Y
Polk County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	Y
Scott County, Iowa	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y

2009

In 2009 Sunshine Review evaluated all of the county websites and found they averaged a "D" website transparency grade.

	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Permits/ Zoning?	Audits?	Contracts?	Lobbying?	Public records?	Taxes?
Y	33	63	41	61	36	10	1	0	8	36
P	2	10	35	15	22	6	1	12	28	38
N	44	6	3	3	21	63	76	67	44	5
No Website	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20

Comparison chart of all county websites

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Adair County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Adams County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Allamakee County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	P	N	N	N	N	Y	P
Appanoose County, Iowa	F	N	N	P	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Audubon County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	N	Y
Benton County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N	N	P	P
Black Hawk County, Iowa	C	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Boone County, Iowa	F	Y	Y	P	P	P	N	N	N	N	P
Bremer County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Buchanan County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Buena Vista County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Butler County, Iowa	D	N	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	Y	Y
Calhoun County, Iowa	F	N	P	P	P	N	N	P	N	P	Y
Carroll County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	P	P	Y	N	N	P	N	Y
Cass County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Cedar County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	P	Y	P	P	N	N	N	Y
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	Y	P	P	Y	N	N	P	P
Cherokee County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	P	P	N	N	P	P
Chickasaw County, Iowa	F	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	N	N	N	P
Clarke County, Iowa	D-	Y	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Clay County, Iowa	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	P	N	Y
Clayton County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	P	P	Y
Clinton County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Crawford County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Dallas County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	P	N	Y
Davis County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P	P
Decatur County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Delaware County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	P	N	Y
Des Moines County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	P	P
Dickinson County, Iowa	F	P	Y	P	P	Y	P	N	N	N	P
Dubuque County, Iowa	F	N	P	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Emmet County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	P	Y	P	N	N	N	P	Y
Fayette County, Iowa	F	N	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	P
Floyd County, Iowa	D-	Y	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Franklin County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	Y
Fremont County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Greene County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	P
Grundy County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	P	N	Y
Guthrie County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	N	P	N	N	P	P
Hamilton County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	P	N	Y
Hancock County, Iowa	F	N	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Hardin County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Harrison County, Iowa	F	N	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	P	P	P
Henry County, Iowa	C-	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	P	Y	P
Howard County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Humboldt County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	P	P	P
Ida County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Iowa County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P	P
Jackson County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	P
Jasper County, Iowa	D	N	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Jefferson County, Iowa	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Johnson County, Iowa	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y
Jones County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	N	N	P	Y
Keokuk County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	P	P
Kossuth County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	P	N
Lee County, Iowa	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Linn County, Iowa	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	Y
Louisa County, Iowa	D	N	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	Y
Lucas County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lyon County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Madison County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Mahaska County, Iowa	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Marion County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y
Marshall County, Iowa	D-	Y	P	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	P
Mills County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	P	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Mitchell County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Monona County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Monroe County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Montgomery County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Muscatine County, Iowa	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
O'Brien County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Osceola County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Page County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Palo Alto County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Plymouth County, Iowa	D	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Pocahontas County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Polk County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	Y
Pottawattamie County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Poweshiek County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Ringgold County, Iowa	F	N	N	P	P	N	N	N	N	N	P
Sac County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Scott County, Iowa	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y
Shelby County, Iowa	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Sioux County, Iowa	F	N	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Story County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Tama County, Iowa	F	N	Y	P	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Taylor County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Union County, Iowa	F	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Van Buren County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Wapello County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	P	N	N	N	N	N
Warren County, Iowa	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Washington County, Iowa	D-	P	N	P	Y	Y	N	P	N	P	P
Wayne County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Webster County, Iowa	D	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Winnebago County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Winneshiek County, Iowa	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Woodbury County, Iowa	F	Y	Y	P	P	P	N	N	N	P	P
Worth County, Iowa	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Wright County, Iowa	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y

Correcting errors

If you discover an error in this chart or on one of the articles about an Iowa county, you can correct it immediately or report the error.

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