Transparency?
At the School Board meeting on February 2, 2018, on the agenda item concerning the sale of more bonds from the nearly $100 million dollar bond levy, the audience was asked to provide public comment. According to citizen Cyndi Baker, this is what happened next:
“I raised my hand and asked if there was a way the public could see information regarding the construction account — how much was in there, what checks were being written out of it. Brian Patrick said, ‘I never thought of that. I guess we could do that.’
Tammy Lacey said, ‘You can always make a records request for that information.’ I replied, ‘But you charge for that, sometimes hundreds of dollars. You guys are always talking about transparency and we are talking tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Why can’t that be on the website?’ No one replied after that comment.”
Baker has a point. The District IS always touting its commitment to “transparency.” Publishing an accounting of nearly one tenth of a billion dollars worth of expenditures would be a great way to shed some sunlight.
What do you think?
Is Baker right, and should the District post this information on its website?
Or do you agree with Superintendent Lacey, and should we citizens have to jump through the hoops and PAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MONEY for the privilege of viewing OUR public records?
We’re paying the bills as taxpayers, we want to see what we’re paying for, without expense records requests.
Heck it wouldn’t cost them anything, but a tiny amount of time, if they just put that information online for all to access.
Unless you have something to hide, then “transparency” is just another code word for keeping things under wraps. I guess Ms. Lacy forgets who’s really paying the bills here. It may take a bunch of people to show up at a school board meeting and demand the numbers be posted for all to see. We may be surprised at how the money is really being spent.