Transparency News 8/24/16

 

Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney James Plowman has filed suit against Gov. Terry McAuliffe over access to the records of the 206,000 felons whose rights would have been restored by the governor's order (since struck down by the Virginia Supreme Court). Read Plowman's petition for a writ of mandamus and the governor's plea in bar (response).
VCOG

The Portsmouth City Council rule that fines members $1,500 for speaking about closed meeting information has likely cost the city more than $54,600 in legal fees, according to an email from Deputy City Manager Vincent Jones. The fees went to the attorneys that City Council members used to defend themselves in colleague Bill Moody’s lawsuit against them. At Tuesday’s council meeting, Vice Mayor Elizabeth Psimas and Moody made motions to add a discussion of the rule to the agenda. Both motions failed.
Virginian-Pilot

Virginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems said Tuesday that she will sever her printing business’s ties with the city’s schools after an article in The Virginian-Pilot detailed her company’s history with the division. The Pilot reported Sunday that Weems’ printing company, Simply Sales, has received more than $56,000 from the city’s schools since 2009. State law allows board members to enter into individual contracts with schools up to $500. Weems’ company has regularly charged schools within $50 of the limit – twice within 20 cents, a Pilot analysis found. Weems issued a statement Tuesday that said: “We have always followed the law, but if the School Board policies aren’t strong enough, then let’s make them stronger. I intend to introduce policy changes that would make it crystal clear that no School Board member will do any business with schools, and I will be doing this at our next School Board meeting.”
Virginian-Pilot

If you want to hear for yourself what happened at a Pound Town Council meeting, make plans to either be there in person or prepare to request a copy of the digital recording at town hall. Over the objections of two members, town council has decided once again to not post on its website the actual digital recording of the monthly meetings. Saying the material is public record and should be made easily accessible, councilmembers Terry Short and Clifton Cauthorne both have pressed for putting the recording online but have been in the minority.
Coalfield Progress
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Editorials/Columns

It isn’t the scandal of the year. Or the month. Or even the week, given the daily headlines about lying and other shenanigans by politicians on the national stage. Still, revelations that a company owned by Virginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems and her husband has been doing business with the city schools is cause for concern. By fans of good government, that is. All of Weems’ actions may be within the law – dangerously close to the $500 limit set by the state on some transactions – but that doesn’t make them right.
Kerry Dougherty, Virginian-Pilot