Madison, Georgia

Transparency Report

As part of a research initiative at MIT GOV/LAB at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), we measured the degree of transparency of local government websites across the United States. This report is based on data gathered through a combination of automated and manual procedures and is part of a larger project on government transparency in the United States.

Does Madison’s website meet common standards of government transparency?

We graded Madison’s website on six basic indicators that measure whether the website posts basic information about how the government operates. We measured whether the government site posted the following: (1) a recent budget, (2) a recent comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), (3) town council meeting agendas, (4) town council meeting minutes, (5) instructions on how to make public records requests, and (6) information on public bids.

We graded all local governments in the state of Georgia. Here’s how Madison stacks up:

Indicator

Found?

Grade

Public Records Requests?

B+

Meeting Agendas?

✔︎

Budget?

✔︎

Public Bids?

✔︎

Annual Financial Reports?

✔︎

Meeting Minutes?

✔︎

We assigned grades as follows: A is 6/6, B+ is 5/6, B is 4/6, C+ is 3/6, C is 2/6, D is 1/6, F is 0/6.

How does Madison Compare to other Georgia Towns?

Madison’s Transparency Grade is lower than 36% of Georgia Towns.

The most common Grade in Georgia is an A, but many towns received a worse grade. The following graphic shows the frequency of each grade across the state:

How does Madison compare to nearby towns?

The following graphic compares Madison transparency grade to the 10 Georgia towns closest to Madison.

How does Madison compare to towns with similar populations?

According to the 2010 census, Madison has a population of 3,895. The following graphic compares Madison’s transparency grade to the 10 Georgia towns with the most similar population.

What is Transparency and Why Does it Matter?

As a principle, government officials have a responsibility to act visibly, predictably, and understandably so as to promote accountability and citizen participation. Without the easy availability of information about the government’s most important decisions, citizens and journalists can have difficult time identifying problems that need to be addressed. In the worst cases, lack of information can hide corruption and malfeasance. For an example of how lack of transparency goes hand in hand with corruption, see this 2013 article on a grand jury report on practices in Clayton County, GA: https://on-ajc.com/2MvBff0.

In addition to facilitating accountability, increased transparency can increase confidence in the government. If a local government makes information about its decision-making and actions more easily available, this increased transparency can signal to the public that it is trustworthy.

Methodology

The methodology used to assign a grade to each town can be found at the following website: https://www.gov-transparency.net/.

If you find any mistakes or problems with the information in this report, please email us at govt_transparency@mit.edu.