Mayor Ralph Becker is pleased to announce Salt Lake City has again been recognized for its government transparency efforts in earning a 2012 Sunny Award.

The Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization  dedicated to government transparency, evaluated more than 6,000 government websites and graded each on a 10-point transparency scale. Salt Lake City was among only 214 government entities that earned an “A” grade on providing easy citizen access to information like city budgets, meetings, financial audits, contracts, public records and taxes.

“We have made a transparent and inclusive government a top priority here in Salt Lake City. The continued recognition by the Sunshine Review reminds us that we are moving in the right direction,” said Mayor Becker. “While we appreciate the accolade, the work to improve the openness of, and accessibility to, City Hall is ongoing.”

The award, which honors the most transparent government websites in the nation, precludes the launch of “Sunshine Week,” March 11-17, a period nationally recognized to celebrate the strides taken toward open government.

“The Sunny Awards recognizes governments that are doing an exemplary job at proactively disclosing information to taxpayers,” said Michael Barnhart, president of Sunshine Review. “We would like to congratulate Salt Lake City for being a champion for transparency and serving as a leader to every state and local government around the nation.”

Salt Lake City was also recognized with a Sunny Award in 2011. See http://sunshinereview.org/core/home for more information on the “Sunshine Review.”