Nevada gets high marks for technology

Monday, July 10, 2000 | 9:19 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada is ranked 13th in the nation in making government available to the public through electronic technology, according to the Center for Digital Government.

The center, in its rankings released this month, also said Nevada's state government is 10th in the nation in management and administration of its information technology system.

"The results of this year's survey showed that in general, the states have come a lot further in this than we expected, particularly bringing what Legislatures are doing online -- the ability to search for bill information, for instance," Cathilea Robinett, executive director of the center, said.

"Citizens have access to the business of the Legislature in ways they never did before," she said.

Marlene Lockard, director of the state Department of Information and Technology, said this ranking "validates our vision and the strategy we have been building." She said it was nice to be recognized nationally for the work of her department.

The survey on management was based on having the director placed at a high level in government, building statewide intranets and developing web portals.

Lockard recently resigned her $92,000 a year job effective July 31 after a proposal was outlined to downgrade her position from a cabinet level job that reports to the governor to one in which she would be under the Department of Administration. That plan has not yet been adopted.