Counting These Minutes Reveals More Than the Time

· Story link

Until now, no one has counted. So the Shenandoah Valley Daily News-Record did. It reviewed the published minutes of 17 local government boards and councils over the past five years and revealed that 57 percent of the almost 1,900 meetings had been held all or partly behind closed doors. Government officials said they had good reason to go private but one former mayor said most local officials look at the open meetings law, with its exemptions, as a license. (10/25/05)