Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Open Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents criticize council after motion to record budget committee meetings fails 3–2
Summary
Citizen petitioners asked the council to record budget and finance committee meetings that begin at 9 a.m.; the council voted down the request on a 3–2 vote, prompting stern public comment from letter authors who said the decision undercuts transparency.
A motion to record all budget and finance committee meetings and make them publicly available failed on a 3–2 vote during the council meeting. Councilors Kaler and Wagner moved and seconded discussion of the request; the mayor called the question after votes were cast. The meeting record states the motion "fails with 3 2 ayes and 3 nays." Public commenters who had signed a June 22 letter—Lois Lundin, Ed Bates and Bobby Bernath—addressed the council during open forum to press the issue.
Lois Lundin read the letter aloud and criticized the council, saying the no votes were "very disappointing." The letter named council members the authors said voted no (Mike Holden, Tim Wagner and Walt Buller) and those who voted yes (Mayor Drake Dale and Pete Kahler). "Without recording, citizens have no practical way to stay informed about decisions affecting the city's budget," Lundin read. The council did not reverse the vote during the meeting.
