Evaluation of Minnesota 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 Minnesota county websites.

See also: County websites, state-by-state comparison, to compare what you can find on Minnesota'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

The top 5 largest counties averaged a slightly higher "C-" website transparency grade.

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

Comparison chart

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Anoka County, Minnesota	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Dakota County, Minnesota	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Hennepin County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	P	Y	N	Y
Ramsey County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	N	Y
Washington County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N

2009

The average transparency score Minnesota counties was a "D."

	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected officials?	Admin. Officials?	Permits/ Zoning?	Audits?	Contracts?	Lobbying?	Public records?	Taxes?
Y	23	64	73	47	34	11	9	1	4	32
P	7	14	7	16	11	4	1	2	2	8
N	50	2	0	17	35	65	70	77	74	40

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
Aitkin County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	P	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Anoka County, Minnesota	A+	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Becker County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Beltrami County, Minnesota	F	Y	P	P	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Benton County, Minnesota	D-	P	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Big Stone County, Minnesota	D-	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Blue Earth County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Brown County, Minnesota	D	Y	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N	N
Carlton County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Carver County, Minnesota	A-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y
Cass County, Minnesota	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	N	N
Chippewa County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Chisago County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Clay County, Minnesota	D	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Clearwater County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Cook County, Minnesota	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N
Cottonwood County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Crow Wing County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Dakota County, Minnesota	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Dodge County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Douglas County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	P	P	N	P	N	N	N	N
Faribault County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	P	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Fillmore County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Freeborn County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	N	Y
Goodhue County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	P	N	N	Y
Grant County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hennepin County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	P	Y	N	Y
Houston County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hubbard County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Isanti County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Itasca County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Jackson County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Kanabec County, Minnesota	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota	D	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	P	P
Kittson County, Minnesota	F	N	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Koochiching County, Minnesota	D	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Lake County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota	D-	N	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Le Sueur County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lincoln County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lyon County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	N	Y
Mahnomen County, Minnesota	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Marshall County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Martin County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
McLeod County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Meeker County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Mille Lacs County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Morrison County, Minnesota	F	N	P	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Mower County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	P	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Murray County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Nicollet County, Minnesota	D-	N	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y	Y
Nobles County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N
Norman County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Olmsted County, Minnesota	B-	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Otter Tail County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	P	Y
Pennington County, Minnesota	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Pine County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	N	N	N
Pipestone County, Minnesota	C-	P	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	Y	Y
Polk County, Minnesota	F	N	N	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Pope County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	P	N	P
Ramsey County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	N	Y
Red Lake County, Minnesota	F	N	N	N	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Redwood County, Minnesota	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Renville County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Rice County, Minnesota	C	P	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	Y
Rock County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Roseau County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y	N
Scott County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Sherburne County, Minnesota	C-	P	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y
Sibley County, Minnesota	D-	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
St. Louis County, Minnesota	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	N	P	Y
Stearns County, Minnesota	C-	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
Steele County, Minnesota	D-	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Stevens County, Minnesota	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	P	N	N	N	N
Swift County, Minnesota	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Todd County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Traverse County, Minnesota	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Wabasha County, Minnesota	F	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Wadena County, Minnesota	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Waseca County, Minnesota	D	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Washington County, Minnesota	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N
Watonwan County, Minnesota	D-	P	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Wilkin County, Minnesota	D-	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Winona County, Minnesota	D	P	Y	Y	Y	P	P	P	P	P	Y
Wright County, Minnesota	D	N	Y	Y	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N
Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota	C	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	N	N	Y

County Budget Information

Annual summaries of Budgeted Revenues and Expenditures and Summary Budget Information for Minnesota's counties can be found on the Office of the State Auditor website.

Counties without websites

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Correcting errors

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

References