The government website checklist

The next meeting of every board is listed

Date, time, place, and how to watch if it's streamed.

Agendas are posted before the deadline

In Georgia, by close of business the day before the meeting. Check your own state's open meetings law.

Minutes are posted after approval

Attached to the same meeting, so residents can find both in one place.

Past meetings stay findable

An archive by date, not a pile of PDFs.

Nothing on the front page is out of date

Expired notices, closed bids, and past events come down when their date passes.

Every notice shows its date

Residents can't tell what's current otherwise.

The calendar shows what's coming up

An empty calendar is better than one that stopped years ago.

Bids and jobs pages say something either way

“No open bids right now — check back” with a date beats a blank page.

Every office lists a phone number and hours

The single most common reason residents visit.

Residents can request public records online

And find out when to expect an answer.

Residents can report a problem

Potholes, streetlights, water — with a way to check on it.

Online payments are easy to find, if you take them

Taxes, water, fees: one clear link from the home page.

Residents can sign up for alerts

Boil-water notices, closures, and meetings by email.

Secure (HTTPS)

Browsers warn visitors away from sites without it.

Built for phones

Most residents visit on one.

Images have descriptions

So screen readers can describe them. The federal ADA Title II rule asks state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 AA, by April 26, 2027 for governments of 50,000 or more, and April 26, 2028 for smaller ones and special districts.

Real headings and readable text

Helps screen readers, search engines, and everyone in between.