Survey Commends 12 Cities for Online Financials

The survey identified Chicago as one of the 12 cities offering timely, complete and accurate online financial information used by municipal bond investors, said Yonghung Wu, assistant professor of public administration at UIC.

Wu collaborated on the survey with MuniNetGuide, an online directory of research on local governments, as part of an ongoing effort to promote continuous financial disclosure in government reporting.

“There is still a long way to go for American city governments to provide online information aimed at investors. However, one bright spot is that some first-mover cities have emerged as leaders in providing investor-relations content through their websites,” Wu said.

San Diego maintained the best information, followed closely by Albuquerque, N.M.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Portland, Ore.

Other cities with good websites for investors were Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

Researchers evaluated both the content and the presentation of the information. The researchers looked for easy-to-use current and archived annual reports, statements of new bond offerings, bond ratings, and bond sales calendars, as well as timeliness, comprehensiveness, and accessibility.

The survey report can be read at: http://www.muninetguide.com/articles/special-select-cities-lead-the-pack-in-providing-investor-re-416.

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