61 local taxing bodies win Sunshine Award in Illinois
During Sunshine Week 2014, the Illinois Policy Institute recognized 38 agencies for earning our Sunshine Award for excellence in online transparency. So far this year, the number of Sunshine Award winners is up to 61 – a 60 percent increase. Over the past year, we have partnered with dozens of local taxing bodies across the...
During Sunshine Week 2014, the Illinois Policy Institute recognized 38 agencies for earning our Sunshine Award for excellence in online transparency. So far this year, the number of Sunshine Award winners is up to 61 – a 60 percent increase.
Over the past year, we have partnered with dozens of local taxing bodies across the state of Illinois through our Local Transparency Project, helping them achieve excellence in online transparency by adopting recommendations from our 10-Point Transparency Checklist.
These governments:
- Make available contact information for elected officials and senior administrators
- Account for how taxpayer dollars are being spent by opening finances to the public
- Use proactive online transparency to prevent and expose government corruption
- Encourage citizens to take an active, educated role in the local government decision-making process
Here is the list of Sunshine Award winners as of March 27, 2014.
| Local Government Agency | Entity Type | Last graded | Score |
| Hanover Township | Township | 1/16/2013 | 100.0% |
| Kane County | County | 5/9/2013 | 100.0% |
| Village of Lombard | Municipality | 6/20/2012 | 100.0% |
| Village of Orland Park | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 100.0% |
| City of Evanston | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 100.0% |
| Village of Skokie | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 100.0% |
| City of Elgin | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 98.7% |
| Village of Huntley | Municipality | 5/22/2013 | 98.3% |
| Village of Bensenville | Municipality | 3/15/2013 | 98% |
| Will County | County | 5/9/2013 | 95.4% |
| City of Naperville | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 94.3% |
| Community High School District #94 | School District | 2/21/2013 | 93.8% |
| Hoffman Estates Park District | Park District | 11/26/2013 | 93.4% |
| City of Countryside | Municipality | 3/5/2014 | 93.1% |
| Orland Fire Protection District | Fire District | 5/17/2012 | 93% |
| Village of Glencoe | Municipality | 2/9/2011 | 92.5% |
| Township of Orland | Township | 5/17/2012 | 92.1% |
| Village of Tinley Park | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 91.9% |
| Village of Villa Park | Municipality | 10/31/2013 | 91.4% |
| DuPage County | County | 5/9/2013 | 90.8% |
| Village of Bartlett | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 90.6% |
| Elmhurst Community School District #205 | School District | 6/20/2012 | 90.6% |
| Lake County | County | 7/18/2013 | 90% |
| School District #54 | School District | 7/28/2010 | 90% |
| Naperville Park District | Park District | 8/15/2013 | 90% |
| Village of Carpentersville | Municipality | 3/15/2013 | 89.9% |
| City of Bloomington | Municipality | 2/13/2014 | 89.7% |
| Village of Palatine | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 88.9% |
| Village of Glenview | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 89.5% |
| City of DeKalb | Municipality | 12/17/2012 | 88.8% |
| Village of Homer Glen | Municipality | 5/21/2012 | 88.2% |
| Village of Schaumburg | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 88.2% |
| Orland School District #135 | School District | 5/17/2012 | 88% |
| Bloomington Public School District #87 | School District | 9/28/2011 | 87.5% |
| McLean County School District Unit #5 | School District | 9/28/2011 | 87.5% |
| City of Peoria | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 87.2% |
| Evanston-Skokie District #65 | School District | 6/15/2011 | 87% |
| Village of Willowbrook | Municipality | 4/8/2011 | 86.8% |
| Consolidated High School District #230 | School District | 5/17/2012 | 86.3% |
| Village of Oak Lawn | Municipality | 1/23/2014 | 86.1% |
| City of Park Ridge | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 86% |
| City of Elmhurst | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 86% |
| Niles Public Library | Library | 12/15/2013 | 85.3% |
| Village of Yorkville | Municipality | 9/21/2012 | 84.9% |
| City of Belleville | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 84.8% |
| Village of Arlington Heights | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 84.3% |
| Rock Island County | County | 5/9/2013 | 83.7% |
| Glen Ellyn Park District | Park District | 11/6/2013 | 83.6% |
| City of Bloomington | Municipality | 1/23/2014 | 82.8% |
| School District #211 | School District | 7/28/2010 | 82.6% |
| DeKalb County | County | 3/27/2014 | 82% |
| Oakton Community College | School District | 6/15/2011 | 82% |
| Village of Downers Grove | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 81.9% |
| Dupage High School District #88 | School District | 6/20/2012 | 81.7% |
| Madison County | County | 5/9/2013 | 81.6% |
| Village of Hinsdale | Municipality | 2/10/2011 | 81.2% |
| Village of Buffalo Grove | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 81% |
| Village of Hanover Park | Municipality | 7/17/2013 | 81% |
| Village of Plainfield | Municipality | 3/15/2014 | 80.8% |
| Village of Mount Prospect | Municipality | 11/8/2013 | 80.4% |
| Downers Grove Park District | Park District | 2/10/2011 | 80% |
Illinois is known for its culture of government corruption, fiscal mismanagement and cronyism. That reputation is backed up by hard statistics that say Illinois is the third-most corrupt state in the country, and the Chicago region is the most corrupt area in the country.
Illinois’ citizens deserve better. Illinois’ government culture on the state and local level needs to change. Instead of being a state known for its corruption, the people of Illinois deserve government that is open, accessible and transparent with their tax dollars.
Illinois has nearly 7,000 local taxing bodies across the state. Every taxpayer deserves to know how their money is being spent, so we will continue our project until every taxpayer dollar is online for the public to see.
We are working with legislators in Springfield to craft legislation that would require local government to post more public information online.
OpenIllinois.org gives citizens the opportunity to contact their elected officials to support the Local Government Transparency Act.