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One interpretation of transparency in government

Transparency: The full, accurate, and timely disclosure of information.

Transparency was a topic at the the forum on Local Government Leadership Wednesday night.

The county manager in Mecklenburg County, Harry Jones, said: We try to create that transparency by saying to our staff to make sure that they not give anything that gives any impression that you are trying to hide.

Putting an even sharper point on it, Jones said he tells his staff to avoid the impression that "you are trying to hide the public’s business from the people."

From today's story about county information finally released to the public after many days of waiting:

“It’s not anything that we would try to hide from anybody,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin “Skip” Alston.

Though these exact figures were released for the first time this week, Alston said that he believes that spending information should be released to commissioners before the public gets to see the numbers.

“If something happens in the county, I would hope that my staff would call me and let me know what’s going on before they issue a news release about it,” he said.

I admit that I was hoping against hope that he might have been listening to learn from the panel.

The state public records law doesn't say anything about calling an elected official before releasing public information. It does say "The public records and public information compiled by agencies of North Carolina government or its subdivisions are the property of the people. Therefore, it is the policy of this State that the people may obtain copies of their public records and public information free or at minimal cost unless otherwise specifically provided by law."

It's a whole other issue whether county employees are considered "my staff," as Alston puts it.

Gerald Witt has more analysis at Inside Scoop.