• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, March 3, 2005

Three out of four cities have both a Web site and a Web portal with links to all agencies and departments, which can be accessed by the public for online services and transactions, according to a survey of 183 city mayors, managers, and chief information officers released by the National League of Cities and the Center for Digital Government.

In three out of four cities, the survey found, police departments are able to retrieve information on license plates and driver's licenses via information technology, and have access to federal and state criminal databases.

The survey also found that more cities now offer their citizens online payment options for services: 40 percent for utility bill payment; 35 percent for parks and recreation services; and 36 percent for paying parking tickets and traffic citations. Cities are also using their Web sites to fill vacant jobs, as nearly half said they accept job applications online.