According to a new e-government poll by the Monmouth University Polling Institute and the Monmouth University Graduate Project, Middletown’s site, www.middletownnj.org, ranked No. 1 among municipal websites for having the best combination of content availability and ease of use. The township also earned top marks in the individual categories of ease of use, citizen interaction and content.
The study evaluated 540 municipal websites as part of the New Jersey E-Government Study.
“I’m very proud that Middletown has earned an E-Government Award for having the best website in the state,” Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said in a press release. “This award is a testament to Middletown’s longstanding dedication to transparency and accessibility for its residents.”
Scharfenberger, formerly a member of the Monmouth University faculty, noted that a 2011 Monmouth University poll showed that municipal websites are the first place that New Jersey residents go for information about their hometowns.
Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante cited residents who participated in a focus group that provided input on the website’s design and final layout.
“They provided valuable insight from a user’s perspective,” he said.
Last year, the township expanded its ability to connect with residents by adding Twitter and Facebook pages. More than 1,000 people currently follow the township on Facebook and over 800 on Twitter, according to the press release.
Adding social media to the township’s communications package came after the website was revamped in 2011. The redesign was focused on further enhancing government transparency, making communication between residents and government easier, and finding needed information quickly. The website features Middletown Marvin, a web portal through which residents can make requests to township departments, as well as a Communication Center through which registered users receive alerts by email and cell phone regarding emergencies. There are currently more than 11,000 users registered with the site.
The website’s homepage offers navigation both by popular subjects and by department, subsection navigation that helps users track their location within the site and locate related content, and a central repository for forms and downloadable documents. The site also offers a local business directory and online tax payment, parking permit registrations and recreation program registration, according to the press release.
Visitors can also find the township on Facebook at facebook.com/middletownnjtownhall and on Twitter at middletownnj. The township cablecasts community announcements on Comcast Channel 20 and Verizon FiOs channel 26, and airs township information on its radio station located at 1620AM. The township also publishes a municipal newsletter.
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Quelle/Source: Holmdel Independent, 28.03.2013
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