Open Illinois.org

The Illinois Policy Institute’s Liberty Leaders are working to get every county, city, village, town, school district, library board and park district to place its expenditures online. To help this effort, we’ve prepared a simple questionnaire for you to use before beginning your work. This questionnaire will help you determine the best mode of action by mapping out who to meet with, what to ask for, and when to present a pro-transparency policy.

If you have any questions, please email Brian Costin.

1. In what village, township, county, school district and park district do you reside?
2. On what level of government do you want to begin working for transparency?
3. Does that particular government body have a website?
4. How transparent is your government already? Examine the websites of your government units and determine whether they have: an online check register, vendor lists (who they buy things from), employee payroll, and accounting for pensions/other long-term liabilities.
5. If there are online documents, are they searchable (i.e. in a database or PDF file)?
6. Do you know anyone who works on any decision-making bodies (a city council or village board, for example)? Do you have a friend who knows anyone?
7. Have you read the local paper or relevant Internet news Websites to see what the editorial boards think about transparency? Have you noticed any pro-transparency letters to the editor or any news about resolutions before government bodies?
8. Have you noted the names and contact information of those people who support (and oppose) transparency?
9. Does your village/city/county permit referenda (the ability to put a question before the voters on a ballot)? Can they be binding (not just advisory)?
10. Have you ever met with any elected officials on the issue of transparency? Other issues?
11. Is any candidate running on a transparency platform? Have you noted their names and contacted their supporters?
12. Do you have at least two people in mind who can help you in this effort?
13. When is the next public meeting of your chosen government body? How can you get on the schedule to speak?
14. Have you read through Open Illinois’s list of pro-transparency talking points to prepare your presentation?