Why Democracy.cc?
Local government affects our daily lives more than any other level of government, yet city meeting agendas are often buried in PDFs and hard-to-navigate government websites. Democracy.cc changes that by making these important documents searchable, trackable, and actually enjoyable to explore.
8 Major Features to Help You Stay Informed
1. 🔍 Powerful Search Engine
Search across Miami Beach commission meeting agendas, resolutions, and ordinances from one place. Find what matters to you in seconds, not hours. Whether you're looking for budget items, zoning or policy changes, our search makes it simple.
2. 📌 Smart Item Tracking
Track agenda items you care about to have easy access to what's most important. Never miss decisions about your neighborhood again. Free users can track up to 10 items, while PRO users get unlimited tracking.
3. 🎥 Integrated Meeting Videos
Watch the moment an agenda item was discussed. No more scrubbing through 4-hour meeting videos – jump directly to the topics you care about with timestamped video links for each item.
4. 📊 Real-Time Activity Feed
See what your neighbors are reading and tracking in real-time. Our anonymized activity ticker shows trending topics and helps you discover important issues you might have missed.
5. 📱 Mobile-First Design
Access everything from your phone with our responsive design. Read agendas on the go, track items during your commute, or watch meeting clips from anywhere.
6. 🔐 User Tiers with PRO Features
Start free with core features, then upgrade to PRO ($19/month) for unlimited tracking, advanced filters by commissioner or department, and priority access to new features as we build them.
7. 🚨 Error Monitoring & Reliability
Behind the scenes, we've built robust error monitoring and automated health checks to ensure the site stays reliable. When issues occur, we're notified immediately and can resolve them quickly.
8. 🌐 SEO-Optimized for Discovery
Fully optimized for search engines so Miami Beach residents can easily find us when searching for city information. With structured data, social media previews, and a comprehensive sitemap, we're making civic information more discoverable.
What's Next?
This is just the beginning. We're planning to add:
- Email notifications for tracked items
- Advanced analytics and voting patterns
- Public comment integration
A Personal Note from the app creator, Daniel Ciraldo:
"Building Democracy.cc has been a labor of love that started in 2020 during COVID as a hobby project. I believe that informed citizens make better communities, and I hope this tool helps more Miami Beach residents engage with their local government."
The site is free to use for basic features because civic information should be accessible to everyone. The PRO tier helps support ongoing development and server costs while providing power users with advanced features.
Try It Today!
Visit democracy.cc and:
- Search for topics you care about
- Track a few agenda items
- Watch a video clip from a recent meeting
- See what others in the community are following
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during development, especially the early users who helped identify bugs and suggested features. Your input has been invaluable, and we hope that our users will continue communicating with us to make this app even greater.
Here's to a more transparent, accessible, and engaged Miami Beach! 🏖️
Democracy.cc is an independent civic technology project not affiliated with the City of Miami Beach. Our mission is to make government information more accessible to all.
Questions or feedback? Reach out via the contact form on the site.