Salisbury Post: Rowan earns A+ for online records

From the Salisbury Post (9/14/12): Rowan County now has the highest transparency grade of any local government in the state, according to the John Locke Foundation.

Through its N.C. Transparency Project, John Locke Foundation scores county and municipal governments in North Carolina on the amount of public information they make available online.

Spokesperson Mitch Kokai said Rowan can thank County Commissioner Jim Sides for its high marks.

He said Sides sent an email telling the foundation that the county had posted all of the scored items online, but the N.C. Transparency website still listed four as “unavailable” – contracts, future liability for retirees, audit reports and a capital improvement plan.

“All of these resources are currently listed on the Rowan County website under our Transparency link, along with other resources not required by your agency for rating purposes,” Sides wrote in the Aug. 9 email. “I look forward to seeing Rowan County listed as the only A+ transparency county on your website very soon.”

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