Notice of Public Hearing Offers Little Information

Incentive Information Released One Day Before Hearing

The subject of tax incentives to businesses is a controversial one, but the commissioners have no policy that provides for meaningful public input on it. On May 19, the commissioners called a "public hearing" on incentives of $40,463 for June 1. A notice with the minimum information required by law was published May 22. How is a citizen supposed to determine if he wants to take off work at 9 am on a Monday morning to express his views if there is no information to help him form an opinion?

No detailed information on the proposal was furnished to the public until today. It was sent in response to two separate formal requests for public information. The documents totaled 36 pages. The documents are in electronic format so they could easily be made available on the web. But they aren't. The public at large still has no idea about the details and no basis for making a decision if they favor or oppose this particular incentive.

The commissioners need to get serious about public participation and learn to listen. The should adopt a policy that requires that the documents be open for public inspection at the county office building and available on the web at the time the notice of the public hearing is printed in the paper. Then the public will know if the public hearing is something that merits the commitment it takes to participate in the process by attending the public hearing and have the option of calling commissioners to express their views. That is what a board would do if it really had an attitude of wanting to know what the public thinks.

Unfortunately, the Lee County Board of Commissioners does not have the reputation of really "listening" to citizens.' For example, almost every speaker in favor of the failed sales tax tied their comments to the renovation of Lee County High School. Commissioner Jerry Lemmond kept a tally of for and against. Somehow the message got lost because the commissioners steadfastly refused to take action to assure the voters that the revenue would go to the renovations. As they were warned, without that specific commitment the tax failed.

Let's hope they learned something from the sales tax and listen to public instead of following wherever Robert Reives leads them.