Robbinsville Named Top 5 Website in NJ

Contact: PATRICK MURRAY
732-263-5858 (office) | 732-979-6769 (cell)
pdmurray@monmouth.edu

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ - (March 21, 2013) – The Monmouth University Polling Institute and Graduate Program in Public Policy announced the results of their New Jersey E-Government Municipal Website Evaluation and Robbinsville Township was named a top five website in New Jersey.

Among other criteria, the content, interaction, use of social media and ease of use of the Robbinsville site all received high marks when matched against 539 other municipal websites throughout the state. The top ten evaluated websites are:

1. Middletown Township (Monmouth)
2. Franklin Lakes Borough (Bergen)
3. West Windsor Township (Mercer)
4. Princeton Township (Mercer)
5. Robbinsville Township (Mercer)
6. Randolph Township (Morris)
7. North Brunswick Township (Middlesex)
8. Lawrence Township (Mercer)
9. Old Bridge Township (Middlesex)
10. Fort Lee Borough (Bergen)

These municipalities and other top performers in specific categories will be recognized at an awards ceremony and seminar on best practices in municipal website design at Monmouth University on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 6:30 p.m.

The Robbinsville site, implemented by Township Business Administrator Joy Tozzi in conjunction with O'Brien Consulting Services, and content managed by Scott O'Brien and Township Communications/Public Information Officer John Nalbone, received high marks in nearly every measurable category. The e-government project examined how New Jersey municipalities use their websites to inform citizens, provide services, and encourage public engagement.

“Websites are probably the single most important tool for citizens to find local information,'' said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “According to a poll we conducted in 2011 Garden State residents are far more likely to visit a municipal website than to call or write a town official.”

The project evaluated each website for the inclusion of 86 separate content items in four categories: information for citizens, citizen interaction, online government services and social networking. The full New Jersey E-Government: Best Practices for Municipal Websites report can be found at www.monmouth.edu/polling.

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