Keeping the supervisor interview process closed is a bad way to get 100-percent ‘voter’ turnout
Richland News Press editorial 01.31.2006
If the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors continues its plans to conceal interviews of eight prospects for the Southern Distric supervisor’s seat, at least that district could have one dubious distinction – 100 percent voter turnout from the "new" Southern District constituency.
Board Chairman Bill Rasnick continues to say that interviewing candidates in closed session – state law doesn’t give out-of-sight governmental meetings the dignity of the term . . .executive’ any more – is appropriate.
Apprpriate for whom? The Southern District’s voters or the Board of Supervisors?
Granted, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act allows elected boards the option to go into closed sessions to appoint interim replacements for members who have left the board for various reasons.
But just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right.
Nothing in the FOIA requires elected boards to hold closed sessions for such matters. Three of the candidates for recommendation as Dan Bowling’s replacement have said on the record that they would welcome a public interview before the Southern District’s real voters. Why not take a cue from these gentlemen and let the public in on why these seven men and one woman are or aren’t suited for office?
As for the Board of Supervisors’ reasons for this secrecy, they haven’t really offered any good ones except that the law allows them to do it.
If this were a special election, all the candidates’ personal and professional cards would be on the public table.
And the Supervisors also haven’t explained the legal and statutory process by which they decided on the interview process. Why not tell the public, at least, just when, where and by what recorded vote this closed-session interview process was approved?
The selection process for a Southern District supervisor candidate is becoming more questionable by the day, but there’s still time to erase those questions and let the public back into their system of government.
How about it, board members?