Transparency and Openness in Local Governance: A Case of Croatian Cities

Transparency and openness are a key concern in contemporary democracies, at both the national and subnational level. Dissemination of public, information is a prerequisite for citizens to exercise their individual and political rights. Transparency is also a prerequisite for accountability. The openness of public authorities to a dialogue with the citizenry has become a key ingredient of the democratic process. Citizens are able to take part in a shared responsibility for the decisions of public. authorities. The paper presents an evaluation of the websites of 16 Croatian cities. The Transparency and Openness Index, composed of four dimensions, and further developed through 13 components, has shown that cities still do not comply with transparency standards, even when those standards are legally prescribed. They are inclined to disclose 'light information, which is not politically loaded and has no direct connection to the accountability mechanism. It is possible, however, to detect innovative leaders, who promote transparency and employ their websites accordingly.