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secret session
It appears the county commissioners have held another illegal closed session, this time to discuss potentially selling the Department of Aging building to Columbus County Regional Healthcare.
The commissioners held the session to discuss the sale of county property. The Open Meetings Law says that public bodies may enter into a secret session to discuss contract negotiations about buying property, but not about selling it.
County Attorney Steve Fowler and County Manager Jim Varner apparently need more training on the law, and, some commissioners need a change of attitude. It should be their policy that the board will go into secret session only if absolutely necessary.
While boards are allowed to go into secret session, it is seldom mandatory nor needed.
Some commissioners – Prevatte, Gore and Bullard – want to see a change in attitude about secret sessions, but they are outvoted. If things don’t change, we imagine open government advocates will not be in the minority when new commissioners are elected in two years.
People are demanding that their government be transparent and open to all, especially in light of what’s happened in the last year.