I attended [the Jan. 5, 2011] Fayette County Commission meeting, and was disturbed by one particular vote. Commissioner [Steve] Brown proposed that before the commission votes on an action having a financial impact, the public be given at least a 24-hour notice.
This seemed like a reasonable request, and I was surprised when it was opposed by Commissioners [Herb] Frady, [Lee] Hearn and [Robert] Horgan. Other than saying something about tying the hands of the staff, no specific objections were presented other than by Commissioner Hearn who said that the county might miss out on a grant if they had that kind of limitation. Huh? Twenty-four hours?
Grants are publicized months in advance of awards. Unless our county staff is terribly inefficient — which they are not — I can see no reason why a last-minute addition to the Commission agenda is necessary.
In this era of public outrage over the lack of openness in federal government, I would think our local commissioners would jump at the chance to pass a ruling that required a 24-hour notice.
J.D. Holmes
Fayetteville, Ga.
