From Deseret News archives:
Applaud openness initiative
Today, we have the opportunity to applaud the initiative of Salt Lake County Councilman David Wilde to effectively open to the public Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Carroon's weekly cabinet meetings. Wilde is seeking a county ordinance that would require the mayor to publicly advertise and permit residents to the meetings, a move spurred by scandal in the previous administration. Some pundits say that under former Mayor Nancy Workman, the closed atmosphere contributed to the scandals that rocked county government last year.
Initially, Carroon opposed operating the meetings under the conditions of the state open meetings law. But he has reached a compromise with Wilde to advertise the meetings and open the proceedings to the public, but no minutes will be taken. It's a good starting point. Both men are to be commended for their refreshing commitment to open government. We believe this will be a boon to the public process and we encourage other members of the executive branch to take notice.
Frankly, the internal operations of county government do not usually produce sizzling newspaper copy. Much of the work of the cabinet involves purchasing, ensuring that the bills are paid, that various agencies perform the services they are charged to do and that county government operates as efficiently as possible.
But an open process helps to ensure that elected and appointed officials are accountable to their bosses, the residents of Salt Lake County. Obviously, much work must be done to draft an ordinance to open the county cabinet meetings, but history tells us that openness in government helps to guard against the abuse of public resources and power. Public officials who operate in the best interest of the public should welcome the opportunity to inform the public about heavy lifting required to keep county government operating at its best and to demonstrate their commitment to using taxpayer dollars wisely.
