In December 2007, the Christiansburg Town Council voted unanimously to spend up to $40,000 on a new website. Well, actually, not new -- just revamping the pitiful address which had been languishing from years of neglect. This vote included up to $500 per month for regular "maintenance" -- without defining if this was for server space or adding content and features. Features like online bill paying -- something that had been promised and even invested in previously (that software became obsolete and must now be replaced before this basic service can be provided).
After an RFP (request for proposals) and the contract awarded in May 2008, the revamped site was slated for roll out by the end of the year. That date slid back a bit and the new tool was launched January 30, 2009. This was accompanied by a street banner (for a day or two) and the promise to quickly continue adding content and value. And....it did come in about 30% under the approved amount.
So how's that going for ya, Christiansburg, six months later?
If you want to see some real show-offs, look at Staunton's website here. No, wait -- really! Go back and hit that link!
It takes you to a page for the Clerk of Council, where you immediately see the Freedom of Information Act and Conflict of Interest links. And note that council supported its clerk in achieving the highest certification by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. Explore this site a bit, and you'll see Staunton has a lot going on -- it's a "Virginia Main Street" with tourism, has a bus/trolley system, "green" initiatives and even a passenger rail station. Plus, readers learn this is the birthplace of the manager form of government, and find comprehensive meeting minutes (often providing more than 40 pages worth of details, per meeting). No talking about being progressive -- just showing how it looks when done, and done right in a systemic manner.
Now, if you want to see Staunton's revamped website, take a peek HERE! That's right, revamped -- new and improved and about to launch. Great improvements to an already outstanding web presence, when contrasting format, features and content across the Commonwealth. High quality, high tech (design timeline and costs will be reported once their IT wizard gets back from what appears to be a well-deserved vacation). Based on 2000 US Census data, the City of Staunton had about a 20% larger population and covered an area of just 5 more square miles (taking the public school budget out, Christiansburg's budget is otherwise similar).
As another blog site points out (Bacons Rebellion, a public policy project of the Thomas Jefferson Institute), "the advent of the internet was certainly a game changer...radically lower(ing) the barrier to becoming involved in public debates and greatly increased the ability of citizens to hold their government to account."
Remembering the internet started gaining widespread popular use in the 1990s, this explains why "good government" now means providing access to anything needed to be a better informed citizen (even a budget analyst). The City of Staunton appears to be providing one excellent example of how this can be done.
So, Christiansburg -- can you, will you follow suit?