Commissioners : Let's Just Keep Citizens Waiting
Robert Reives led the county commissioner's down the path of poor standards of customer service as the commissioners considered the county's new access to public information policy. The policy, as drafted by the county manager, said that the county would have up to 15 days to respond to a request for information. The county attorney noted that the law gave the county up to 25 days. It is unusual for Mr. Hoyle to be wrong. The Public Records Law imposes no specific time limits on either requests or responses. G.S. § 132-6 states that a custodian of public records shall make them available "at reasonable times and under reasonable supervision by any person, and shall, as promptly as possible, furnish copies thereof upon payment of any fees as may be prescribed by law."
Upon hearing that Mr. Hoyle felt the law allowed up to a 25 day period, Commissioner Reives, who is a state bureaucrat in Raleigh, quickly said, "Why box ourselves in. If the law gives us 25 days to respond, why have the policy say 15 days when we can take 25?" The policy draft was quickly changed to the 25 days as Commissioner Reives suggested. In other words, let us not put ourselves into the position of giving the public any faster service than they are absolutely entitled. Let's not over burden ourselves. Let the public wait.
This government before the people attitude has become the typical of the commissioner's view of the citizens they are supposed to serve.
Somehow the county manager was able to put a positive spin on the county's newly adopted policy regarding public access to information. It even managed to get a "thumbs up" from the Herald on Sunday--but the new policy says it does not apply to the media. Since the public's right to access public records in a timely matter is an important part of a democratic government, you will be reading more about this policy in coming posts.
Although possible legislation by the General Assembly was given as the reason for coming forward with the formal procedures now, it seems very coincidental that public access to information is being made more complicated after a letter signed by three commissioners on county stationary came to light after a public information request. The three commissioners were attempting to inappropriately influence the selection of the president of CCCC. (Cick here to see prior post)
Editor's note: The Clerk to the Board and County Manager have always been very cooperative with requests for public information.
Upon hearing that Mr. Hoyle felt the law allowed up to a 25 day period, Commissioner Reives, who is a state bureaucrat in Raleigh, quickly said, "Why box ourselves in. If the law gives us 25 days to respond, why have the policy say 15 days when we can take 25?" The policy draft was quickly changed to the 25 days as Commissioner Reives suggested. In other words, let us not put ourselves into the position of giving the public any faster service than they are absolutely entitled. Let's not over burden ourselves. Let the public wait.
This government before the people attitude has become the typical of the commissioner's view of the citizens they are supposed to serve.
Somehow the county manager was able to put a positive spin on the county's newly adopted policy regarding public access to information. It even managed to get a "thumbs up" from the Herald on Sunday--but the new policy says it does not apply to the media. Since the public's right to access public records in a timely matter is an important part of a democratic government, you will be reading more about this policy in coming posts.
Although possible legislation by the General Assembly was given as the reason for coming forward with the formal procedures now, it seems very coincidental that public access to information is being made more complicated after a letter signed by three commissioners on county stationary came to light after a public information request. The three commissioners were attempting to inappropriately influence the selection of the president of CCCC. (Cick here to see prior post)
Editor's note: The Clerk to the Board and County Manager have always been very cooperative with requests for public information.
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