Is your area governing board or elected official willing to go on record in support of open government?
Talking about open government, transparency and accountability is harder to do than it is to put those principles into action every day.
The organizers of the Sunshine Week 2011 initiative, which was held March 13-19, created what they call the Sunshine Proclamation. It’s a two-part resolution that recognizes the importance of access to open records and meetings and suggests way to improve that access.
Noting that March 16 is the birthday of James Madison, often considered the patron saint of open government, Part 1 of the Proclamation asks signers “to work diligently to enhance the public’s access to government records and information, to increase information provided electronically and online, and to ensure that all meetings of deliberative bodies under its jurisdiction, and their committees, are fully noticed and open to the public.”
Part 2 asks signers to commit to certain best practices, like creating a schedule of charges for records (not to exceed actual cost, of course!) and posting frequently requested records online.
The full text of Part 1 is found at right. For Part 2, go to our website and search for “Proclamation.”
Please send any responses you might get to VCOG at vcog@opengovva.org (or P.O. Box 2576, Williamsburg VA 23187).
Sunshine Proclamation
WHEREAS, James Madison, the father of our federal Constitution, wrote that “consent of the governed” requires that the people be able to “arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives,” and
WHEREAS, every citizen in our participatory democracy has an inherent right to access to government meetings and public records; and
WHEREAS, an open and accessible government is vital to establishing and maintaining the people’s trust and confidence in their government and in the government’s ability to effectively serve its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the protection of every person’s right of access to public records and government meetings is a high priority of (name of governmental unit or official), and
WHEREAS, (name of governmental unit or official) is committed to openness and transparency in all aspects of its operations and seeks to set a standard in this regard; and
NOW, THEREFORE, (name of governmental unit or official) commits to work diligently to enhance the public’s access to government records and information, to increase information provided electronically and online, and to ensure that all meetings of deliberative bodies and their committees are fully noticed and open to the public.