State of Vermont Office of the Secretary of State

Message from the Secretary

I can tell that spring will be here soon. It is not just the rutted roads or the first sightings of robins or the fact that I can finally see patches of brown popping out between the piles of snow that fill the woods outside my window. I can tell that spring is coming because our phones have been ringing with questions about open meeting law. Many of these calls come from newly elected board members. Others come from the press or from more seasoned local officials who use the fact that there is a newly constituted board as an excuse to get a refresher.

Most of the calls come because doing things in public is not the way most of us are used to conducting our business. And as anyone can tell you who has seen their name in the papers after a particularly controversial decision -- there is bound to be tension between efficiency and openness. New board members are always surprised at how it feels to do things as unguardedly as the open meeting law requires.

Secretary of State
Deborah L. Markowitz

Even members of the public are sometimes amazed at how much of government is open and available to them. But we know in Vermont that good government is open government. Openness generates trust and fidelity to law. It gives people direct access to decision-making and provides a civil forum for public criticism and appreciation of the hard work of governance. (Although most of us may wish for a bit less of the former, and more of the latter.) It results in better decisions for the community. The open meeting law is not a simple law –although its premise is very basic. Meetings of a public body must be held in the open, with opportunity for public participation. To make it easier for boards to understand and follow the requirements of the law, we have just completed a new publication "The Pocket Guide to Open Meeting Law." This publication will shortly be available on our web page and will be sent to the town clerk and to the chairs of the selectboard and school board of every town. Additional copies will be available upon request. It is our hope that this guide will be a comprehensive and easy to use resource for your community. Meanwhile, please remember that we are here to be of assistance to you. So call Deputy Secretary, David Grayck, Elections Director, Ellen Tofferi or myself at 1-800-439-8683! Deborah L. Markowitz Secretary of State
For further information, please contact Web Editor, Editor, Opinions at 802-828-2363 or email webeditor@sec.state.vt.us
Vermont Secretary of State Opinions Volume 1 Number 3 April 1999
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