Evaluation of Maryland county websites

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

See also: County websites, state-by-state comparison, to compare what you can find on Maryland'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 September of 2012, Sunshine Review evaluated the five largest counties in Maryland: Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, and Anne Arundel County. These counties earned an average of a "B+" website transparency grade.

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

Comparison chart

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Anne Arundel County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y
Baltimore County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
City of Baltimore, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Montgomery County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Prince George's County, Maryland	C	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	P

2009

In 2009 Sunshine Review conducted evaluations where the counties earned an average of a "C" website transparency grade.

	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Permits/ Zoning?	Audits?	Contracts?	Lobbying?	Public records?	Taxes?
Y	21	21	20	22	19	7	3	0	7	7
P	1	3	4	2	4	9	11	0	1	14
N	2	0	0	0	1	8	10	24	16	3

Comparison chart

Please check each district to see when it was last rated, if there is no time stamp then check the "History" tab to see when it was last edited.

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Allegany County, Maryland	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Anne Arundel County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y
Baltimore County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Calvert County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Caroline County, Maryland	D	Y	Y	N	P	P	Y	N	N	N	Y
Carroll County, Maryland	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y
Cecil County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	Y	Y
Charles County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	Y	P
City of Baltimore, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Dorchester County, Maryland	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Frederick County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	Y
Garrett County, Maryland	A-	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Harford County, Maryland	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	P
Howard County, Maryland	C	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	P	Y
Kent County, Maryland	D-	P	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Montgomery County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Prince George's County, Maryland	C	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	P
Queen Anne's County, Maryland	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	Y	P
Somerset County, Maryland	F	P	Y	P	Y	N	N	P	N	N	N
St. Mary's County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	P
Talbot County, Maryland	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Washington County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Wicomico County, Maryland	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	Y
Worcester County, Maryland	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y

Correcting errors

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

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