|
"For some reason, all parties involved seem to think hunkering down in a shroud of silence will make this magically ebb away."
|
Strange doings are afoot in Bristol. Citizens there, who own the right to elect and reject their council members at the ballot box, are being cut-out of an attempt to remove one of those members. According to an article in the Bristol Herald Courier, during a break in Tuesday’s city council meeting, council members had a document served on a fellow member, Doug Fleenor, that Fleenor later said seeks his removal from office. Neither Eads nor Fleenor is prohibited from disclosing the mystery document. The personnel exemption for records is discretionary, meaning they have a choice about whether to release it. Either or both of the sides in this internecine strife need to step up and let the public in. They are the ones who will be impacted by a reconfiguration of the current board. Some may rejoice, others may be distraught. All should be afforded the opportunity to know what’s going on.
Megan Rhyne, Bristol Herald Courier
The secrecy surrounding Bristol, Virginia, Councilmember Doug Fleenor’s ouster, a move instigated by other members of the council under a vague section of the city’s charter, is deeply troubling. For some reason, no one’s speaking. For some reason, all parties involved seem to think hunkering down in a shroud of silence will make this magically ebb away. It won’t. Instead of quelling suspicion, Bristol’s officials are only exacerbating it by leaving it to the court of rumor and innuendo and not making public the formal notice outlining the reasons behind Fleenor’s dismissal. That document was handed to him by a Bristol city police officer on his exit from the council’s Aug. 28 meeting. The Bristol Herald Courier’s interview with the soon-to-be-former councilmember contains this telling paragraph: “The document also outlines another accusation, which Fleenor wouldn’t disclose, that he said he’s consulting an attorney about.” The public has an absolute and indisputable right to know if their representatives stand accused of breaking the law, embarrassment be damned. What is it in that formal statement of charges that Fleenor needs legal counsel for?
Bristol Herald Courier
Watching some Charlottesville City Council and other city meetings collapse into chaos, Albemarle County officials surely have been taking notes. And just as surely, they have been asking themselves: How can we prevent this distortion of democracy from happening on our watch? The Board of Supervisors has subtly but firmly been re-emphasizing orderliness in its public meetings; now the county School Board has been hit with the same sort of unruly conduct that has marred city meetings. The dispute centers on protesters’ belief that the board isn’t (as yet) banning Confederate and similar symbols from a school dress code. Although we recognize the difficulty of that mission, we believe that understanding is a far better way to achieve social progress than are force, punishment and disruption. Meanwhile, although officials had the right to remove people who were being disruptive outside the boardroom, we join Megan Rhyne of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government in questioning their decision to temporarily block other members of the public from returning to the meeting. Police said they couldn’t differentiate the troublemakers from the law-abiding — and so they potentially turned away people who were not suspect.
The Daily Progress
Dorothy Wood, a member of the development authority since 2011, is the mother of Councilmember Jim Wood. He now serves as vice mayor, following the resignation earlier this year of Mayor Will Sessoms and the assent to the mayor’s seat on an interim basis by Councilman Louis Jones. The former president and CEO of J.D. & W Inc., a Virginia Beach contracting firm, Wood boasts involvement in a host of charitable and community endeavors. There is no question that she is a qualified and capable voice to have on the development board, where she serves as chair. However, there is also no question that having a mother and son on these boards is … well … not the best look for Virginia Beach. It’s potentially problematic given the multi-million dollar decisions routinely made first by the development authority and then by the council. One might forgive Wood for wanting to cast a vote in favor of his mother’s appointment to the authority, but Beach residents have a right to expect their elected officials to avoid the appearance of impropriety as well as impropriety itself.
The Virginian-Pilot
It became clear to many in 2015 that Abingdon had a culture of secrecy at Town Hall. Our town council was unresponsive to citizens who expressed legitimate and urgent concerns at meetings, and once in 2016 there was even an attempt to forbid public comment on some issues — fortunately, without success. Abingdon is fortunate that during this time, the Herald Courier provided news coverage and editorials that brought attention to a lack of openness. This certainly contributed to the fact that all those elected in May 2018 to the Town Council had already during their campaigns declared their commitment to governmental transparency.
Warren M. Harris, Bristol Herald Courier
|
