Kossuth County to revisit whether budget workshops should be recorded after department heads raise concerns

Department heads asked the Board of Supervisors to consider not recording budget workshops, saying recording inhibits open and candid discussion. Several supervisors acknowledged that unrecorded conversations sometimes lead to better internal discussion, while others emphasized transparency and the public's right to full information.

The board did not take immediate action; instead, supervisors agreed to put the question of whether budget workshops should be recorded on the agenda for the next Tuesday meeting so the matter can be debated formally. Staff was asked to include the item and provide context and options for a future vote.

Both sides emphasized that numbers and final budget decisions would remain public record through standard budget notices and hearings; the central tension discussed was whether the live, recorded workshop format constrains candid departmental discussion needed for budget development.