Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

March 18, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

City Awarded 2008 “E-Government Award” by Open Government Advocates

HAVERHILL- Mayor James J. Fiorentini announced that the City of Haverhill website www.ci.haverhill.ma.us has been awarded a 2008 E-Government Award by Common Cause Massachusetts. The City was recognized at a State House event today honoring the 90 out of 351 Massachusetts municipalities whose websites met this threshold.

Haverhill was recognized for its leadership as part of Common Cause’s ongoing Massachusetts Campaign for Open Government. The organization conducted and reviewed audits of all the municipal internet sites in the Commonwealth in order to see if citizens had access to essential public information. The City’s site was recognized for having its board and committee agendas, committee minutes, fiscal year budgetary information, bylaws, codes, ordinances and other pertinent data all posted online.

“One of my first goals as Mayor was to ensure that our city’s website become a more useful and dynamic free tool that residents and visitors could use to obtain critical information about our City,” explained Mayor Fiorentini. “I am pleased that we have been awarded for our quality website, which is in keeping with my goal of bringing City government out of the shadows and into the 21st century.”

“More and more people rely on the internet for critical information each day,” said Common Cause Executive Director Pam Wilmot. “Communities that provide this information are providing an important service to their citizens.”

The Mayor thanked City Information Technology Director Pamela Carr and City Clerk Margaret Toomey for their efforts in obtaining this recognition.

Common Cause Massachusetts is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, government watchdog, dedicated to citizen participation in an open, honest, and accountable government. An independent, member-supported organization, Common Cause has more than 200,000 members nationwide and 10,000 in Massachusetts.