Evaluation of Tennessee 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 Tennessee county websites.

See also: County websites, state-by-state comparison, to compare what you can find on Tennessee'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 May of 2012, Sunshine Review re-evaluated the five largest counties in Tennessee. Our review found that they averaged a B- (70%).

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

Comparison chart

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Davidson County, Tennessee	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
Hamilton County, Tennessee	C-	Y	P	P	P	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y
Knox County, Tennessee	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y
Rutherford County, Tennessee	D	Y	P	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	P
Shelby County, Tennessee	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y

2009

The rest of the reviews were conducted in 2009, and at this time the websites averaged a "D" website transparency grade.

	Budget?	Meetings?	Elected Officials?	Admin. Officials?	Permits/ Zoning?	Audits?	Contracts?	Lobbying?	Public records?	Taxes?
Y	21	23	51	56	12	16	0	0	0	16
P	2	19	7	3	16	1	9	1	2	14
N	37	18	2	1	32	43	51	59	58	30
No Website	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	35	35

Comparison chart

County	Grades	Budget	Meetings	Elected Officials	Admin. Officials	Permits/ Zoning	Audits	Contracts	Lobbying	Public records	Taxes
Anderson County, Tennessee	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	P	N	N	Y
Bedford County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Benton County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Bledsoe County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Blount County, Tennessee	C	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	P
Bradley County, Tennessee	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y
Campbell County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Cannon County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Carroll County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Carter County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Cheatham County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Chester County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Claiborne County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Clay County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Cocke County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Coffee County, Tennessee	D	Y	P	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	P
Crockett County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Cumberland County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Davidson County, Tennessee	B-	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y
DeKalb County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Decatur County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Dickson County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	N	N	Y
Dyer County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Fayette County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Fentress County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Franklin County, Tennessee	D-	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
Gibson County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Giles County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Grainger County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Greene County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Grundy County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hamblen County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	P	N	N	P
Hamilton County, Tennessee	C-	Y	P	P	P	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y
Hancock County, Tennessee	F	N	N	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hardeman County, Tennessee	F	N	N	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hardin County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Hawkins County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Haywood County, Tennessee	D-	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Henderson County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Henry County, Tennessee	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Hickman County, Tennessee	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	N	N	N	N
Houston County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Humphreys County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Jackson County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Jefferson County, Tennessee	D	N	P	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Johnson County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Knox County, Tennessee	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y
Lake County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lauderdale County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lawrence County, Tennessee	D	Y	P	Y	Y	N	Y	N	N	N	P
Lewis County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Lincoln County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Loudon County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Macon County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Madison County, Tennessee	D	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Marion County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Marshall County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N
Maury County, Tennessee	C	Y	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	Y
McMinn County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
McNairy County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Meigs County, Tennessee	F	N	N	P	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Monroe County, Tennessee	D-	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Montgomery County, Tennessee	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	Y	Y
Moore County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Morgan County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Obion County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Overton County, Tennessee	D-	N	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N
Perry County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Pickett County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Polk County, Tennessee	D-	N	P	Y	P	N	N	N	N	N	N
Putnam County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Rhea County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Roane County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Robertson County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	P
Rutherford County, Tennessee	D	Y	P	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	P
Scott County, Tennessee	D	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	Y
Sequatchie County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Sevier County, Tennessee	F	N	P	P	P	Y	N	N	N	N	P
Shelby County, Tennessee	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y
Smith County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Stewart County, Tennessee	D-	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Sullivan County, Tennessee	D-	N	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	N	N	P
Sumner County, Tennessee	C-	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	Y	N	N	N	P
Tipton County, Tennessee	D	N	Y	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	Y
Trousdale County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Unicoi County, Tennessee	F	N	P	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Union County, Tennessee	F	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Van Buren County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Warren County, Tennessee	F	N	P	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Washington County, Tennessee	D	P	P	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	N
Wayne County, Tennessee	F	N	N	P	Y	N	N	N	N	N	N
Weakley County, Tennessee	B	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	P	Y	Y
White County, Tennessee	F	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N	N
Williamson County, Tennessee	B-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	P	N	N	Y
Wilson County, Tennessee	A-	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y

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