We are committed to Open Government, and toward that goal we are working to improve the transparency of our web site by specifically targeting the measures shown below. The Sussex County website is a 2013 Sunny Award winner! The Sunny Award is presented by the Editors of Sunshine Review to honor the most transparent government websites in America. This website scored an "A+" transparency grade on Sunshine Review's Transparency Checklist. In 2013, only 247 of the more than 7,000 government websites ranked by Sunshine Review earned a Sunny Award. The Sussex County website is a 2012 Sunny Award winner! The Sunny Award is presented by the Editors of Sunshine Review to honor the most transparent government websites in America. This website scored an "A" transparency grade on Sunshine Review's Transparency Checklist. In 2012, only 214 of the more than 6,000 government websites ranked by Sunshine Review earned a Sunny Award. See how we fare on the Transparency Checklist at SunshineReview.org Budget Meetings Elected Officials Administrative Officials Permits, zoning Audits Contracts Lobbying Public Records Local Taxes Budget "The county website should include comprehensive budget information." On the top menu, hover your mouse over County Government, Board of Freeholders, then choose the County Budget Meetings "Typically, open meeting laws include provisions mandating that governments give advance notice to the public of when and where its meetings will be held" Sussex County Upcoming Meetings Elected Officials "Websites sponsored by the government should include information about who serves on the governing board" Sussex County Elected Officials Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders - Names, Contact information, terms of office and party affiliation Sussex County Clerk Sussex County Surrogate Sussex County Sheriff Other Elected Representatives including Federal, State and Municipal Officials are listed in the Official County Directory Administrative Officials "An administrative official is a person that is either hired or appointed to work for a particular unit of government." Sussex County Administrator Permits, zoning Access Permit Road Opening Permit Septic Permit Issuance of building permits and zoning information are handled by the Municipalities. To visit your Municipality's web site, hover your mouse over Municipalities on the top menu. Audits "Audit results should be posted online" On the top menu, hover your mouse over County Government/Board of Freeholders, then choose the County Audit. Contracts "Government websites should inform residents about:" Rules governing contracts. Bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000. Information about vendor campaign contributions. Rules governing contracts: The Local Public Contracts Law and the Board of Chosen Freeholders empowers only the Purchasing Agent to make purchases for the County. The County of Sussex Purchasing Manual can be viewed here. New Jersey Local Agency Procurement Laws can be viewed here. Bids and contracts for purchases over $10,000: Here. Information about vendor campaign contributions: The New Jersey Pay-to-Play web site contains a searchable database of campaign contributors. View the site here. The Sussex County Office of Purchasing lists bid opportunities and requests for proposals. Lobbying "Government websites should include or disclose: Database of registered lobbyists Agency lobbying contracts. All grants given to non-profit organizations with reason for the grant and a contact in the organization responsible for oversight. Any dues paid to taxpayer-funded lobbying associations, and details about what legislation those associations lobbied for or against. Database of Registered Lobbyists: The State of New Jersey refers to lobbyists as Governmental Affairs Agents. The complete list of registered Governmental Affairs Agents as of the end of 2009 is available in PDF format here. New Jersey annual report summaries on the activities of Governmental Affairs Agents can be viewed here. Agency lobbying contracts: N/A All grants given to non-profit organizations: A list of grants given to non-profit organizations can be viewed here. Stephen Gruchacz, Administrator of the Department of Human Services, is responsible for oversight. Contact Mr. Gruchacz at 973-579-0559. Any dues paid to taxpayer-funded lobbying associations: The only taxpayer funded lobbying group the County of Sussex belongs to is the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC). The amount of the NJAC bill for 2010 is $6,084.00. Details about the activities of the NJAC can be viewed at their web site. Public Records Request Information under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Local Taxes "Government websites should include information about all taxes levied by the government whose website it is, and information on how to appeal property tax assessments, if the unit of government is partially funded by property taxes." Sussex County Board of Taxation The Tax Appeal Process