AUGUST 2011 Guest Commentary Observing Open Government By Lyn Widmyer When it comes to open gov-
ernment, there is a new sheriff in town. The League of Women Voters
of Jefferson County has started an observer program. A League member, armed with paper tab- let and ballpoint pen, is now attending County Commission meetings. I am thrilled. As a member of
the County Commission and the League of Women Voters, I sup- port any effort to keep county government open and transpar- ent. The County Commission does a pretty good job in this area, but recent actions by the Commission give me concern. For example, I do not agree with my colleagues that receiving key information by email less than 24 hours before a Commis- sion meeting is acceptable. Observer programs help
monitor openness in govern- ment. According to the LWV, an observer is “an individual who attends a governmental meet- ing, notes what happens at the meeting, and reports back to the League and (hopefully) the com- munity.” Some sample report- ing forms are included in the LWV publication, “Observing Your Government in Action.”
Observers note such things as whether background informa- tion is available to the public, whether there is time for public comment, and whether there is adequate discussion of issues. One of the sections of “Ob-
serving Your Government in Ac- tion” focuses on sharing what is observed. I hope the LWV of Jef- ferson County takes the oppor- tunity to convey their observer program findings to the County Commission. As a Commission- er, I know I sometimes get com- placent about involving citizens in our discussions. For example, we get a lot of reports and docu- ments handed to us at Commis- sion meetings. The stack gets higher and higher depending on the issue. Those in the audience or watching on the webcam have no clue what we are talk- ing about. They hear references to a chart or table or study but have no access to the material. I was reminded of how frustrat- ing this can be when I attended a meeting of another governmen- tal body and sat in the audience. There were no handouts, no background materials, no extra copies of packet attachments. I suddenly felt great empathy for those sitting in the audience of
the County Commission. Eleanor Finn, the League Ob-
server assigned to the County Commission, is now a regular member of the audience. Elea- nor is new to Jefferson County but not to the League of Women Voters. She is a 30-year veteran of the League and has served in many board positions. Why is she an observer? “Because,” Eleanor explains, “I believe in the LWV mission to keep gov- ernment open and responsive.” I hope this commitment car- ries her through mind-numbing work sessions on the budget. As a long time member of
the Jefferson County League of Women Voters, I applaud the formation of an observer corps and the commitment of League members like Eleanor Finn to at- tend County Commission meet- ings. I look forward to learning from the League’s observations. When it comes to open govern-
ment, we can always get better. For information on the League of
Women Voters, contact Ann Coulter, Membership Chair, anncoulter@com-
cast.net or 304-876-3158.
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