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State compliance board finds no Open Meetings Act violation in commissioners' Chamber appearance
Summary
A complaint alleging an Open Meetings Act violation over the commissioners' appearance at the county Chamber of Commerce 'state of the county' event was reviewed by the state Open Meetings Act compliance board, which ruled there was no violation, the speaker said.
A member of the St. Mary's County board described a community complaint that the commissioners' appearance at the county Chamber of Commerce 'state of the county' event was not an open meeting and said the state Open Meetings Act compliance board reviewed the complaint and found no violation.
"This accusation was sent to the state Open Meetings Act compliance board, and they ruled that there was no violation," the unidentified board member said, calling the ruling "good news" for public access to commissioners' remarks at such events.
The speaker summarized the Open Meetings Act as a rule that public business should be conducted with public access and noted exceptions (personnel matters and other limited categories) where closed sessions are allowed. The speaker said the Chamber event provides an opportunity for the public to hear from commissioners and ask questions, and welcomed continued public access to such forums.
The complaint was described as filed by "a community member"; the transcript does not identify that person or provide additional details about the grounds of the complaint beyond that it alleged the event "wasn't an open meeting." The speaker did not report any further administrative or legal action following the compliance board's ruling.
