When people volunteer for public service, whether it’s to run for elected office or to seek appointment to town boards and commissions, they’ve signaled their commitment to do what’s best for the greater good the entire community.
And just as we all have personal reasons for making such a decision, we also have biases that we bring to these posts, along with our experience and expertise. With that said, the only way to conduct the public’s business in as bias-free a manner as possible is to be as transparent as possible.
There’s no way to force residents to pay attention to public meetings, by reading the paper or even with the ease of watching them on public access TV in the privacy of their own homes. But whether or not anyone is reading or watching, elected and appointed officials have to conduct their business in the public eye. After all, it is the public who polices the local town and school officials. We the people have to be responsible and keep an eye on what they are doing.
We’re not talking about decisions that are made in public sessions, but the background leading to those decisions. The conversations and debates and the questions and the arguments are rarely part of what the public gets to see.
And that’s how rumors start. Rumors that can take on a life of their own, especially when bloggers get involved.
It is not about he or she is a nice person, it is about the facts and about taking the taxpayers’ hard-earned money and using it for the greater good.
When property pops up for sale that was recently bought by a developer, is it for the people/town’s best interest or not? Is a councilor or other official or two ever seen in discussion with a landowner? Our towns are too small for anyone to expect such meetings to go unnoticed.
Are these meetings illegal? Not exactly. But is that the only point we need to be concerned with?
Ethics is defined as a system of moral principles and rules of conduct.
In public life, appearances count. When residents don’t know what their representatives are up to, they listen to rumors and conspiracy theories and ultimately end up distrusting the decision makers.
The public’s business should be conducted in public. Keep us informed of what you’re doing, every step of the way. We shouldn’t have to worry that our officials having something to hide, or do we.