Observer Dispatch OUR VIEW: Public officials must be held accountable

They just don’t seem to get it. Or maybe they do and just don’t care.

We’re talking about executive sessions. But until somebody decides to challenge them legally, boards will continue to deceive the people they serve.

This time, the flagrant offender is the Ilion Village Board. Prior to its legally announced March 11 regular session scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the board convened at 6:09 p.m. to discuss details of the Food Truck Frenzy planned for the summer. They also voted to pay $500 to volunteer firefighters for repairs to the restrooms at the field.

They called it an executive session, citing “personnel” as the reason. That session lasted 46 minutes. The regular meeting was called to order at 6:55 p.m.

There are so many things wrong here that it’s tough to know where to begin. (Read more…)