Additionally, the GBI and The

Citizen newspaper focused on the Water and Sewerage Authority, and I had

no firsthand knowledge that WASA had violated any of the open meetings

laws. It was the City Council, who week after week, played by their own

rules and presumably predetermined the outcome of future agenda items.

I say "presumably"

because I wasn't allowed to be present during those executive session

meetings, nor was the previous city clerk. But, we knew what was being

discussed because the city manager always prepared a detailed list of

executive session agenda items and often provided council with handouts.

We were the ones who had to make copies of those handouts, clean up the

room after the meeting and discard any papers left behind.

Rarely did such information

concern the only three topics allowed to be discussed in executive session:

real estate acquisition, pending litigation or personnel matters.

Carol Fritz's presence on council

prompted some long overdue changes in the way council conducted its course

of business. The very first meeting she attended was the first meeting

that the city manager did not prepare his routine agenda for the executive

session staff briefing. Instead, he began preparing bi-weekly memos entitled

"Council Update." And within a few short months, a new section

was added to future agendas: "Council/Staff Topics." You can

verify the timing of these procedure changes by checking public records.

The timing is significant because

on several occasions I had written memos and discussed open meeting procedures

with the administration. My efforts to ensure open government fell on

deaf ears until a new member of council was elected who was not part of

the "inner circle."

While Fritz made great strides

in providing open meetings, she was not able to effect open government

single-handedly. Since the city manager was no longer providing staff

briefings with the entire council, they no longer had a unified influence

with the administration.

To further complicate matters,

the city manager's annual evaluations, raises and retirement bonuses were

determined by the mayor and not the entire council. It appeared that the

mayor and city manager's allegiance to one another strengthened, while

the rest of council became divided and struggled to obtain accurate and

complete information.

The issue of open government

is critical because it is the single most important factor in our community's

ability to oversee our government. It affects the judgment and accountability

of every decision our public officials make. With knowledge comes power.

And that power should not belong to one or two individuals.

When information is controlled,

people can be controlled. And when people can be controlled, votes can

be controlled. And when votes can be controlled by anyone other than the

constituents, then we are no longer living in a democratic society.

Visit my website at www.nancyfaulkner.com

to learn more about my vision for community leadership. And, cast your

vote for democracy on Nov. 6 to protect your right to open government.

Nancy Faillo Faulkner

[email protected]

Back

to Opinion Home Page | Back

to the top of the page