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Dare County elections attorney urges narrow use of closed sessions after state guidance
Summary
Dare County Board of Elections reviewed written guidance from the North Carolina State Board of Elections and heard legal advice from the county attorney that validated its open-session appointment vote but advised limiting future closed-session discussions to narrowly protected personnel concerns.
The Dare County Board of Elections reviewed written guidance from the North Carolina State Board of Elections and heard legal advice from the county attorney on whether a recent closed-session discussion about party-submitted names for chief judge and judge slots was lawful. County Attorney Robert Outen told the board the action they took in open session — approving the slate — satisfied the statutory requirement that final decisions be made publicly, but he recommended restricting closed sessions to narrowly protected matters.
Outen said public bodies are governed by statutes that presume meetings be open and that exceptions should be used sparingly. “All meetings of public bodies ... are required by statute ... to…
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