Good for Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans (in photo) for wanting to add accountability to executive sessions. Mayans suggested at a council meeting earlier this month that the council audiotape its executive sessions, which are closed to the public. Then, if there is a dispute about whether the council violated the state’s open meetings law, a judge could listen to the portion of the session in dispute and make a decision.
The same proposal was considered as a law change by the Legislature last session, but it didn’t advance, in part because of opposition by school districts and county governments. But as council member Paul Gray noted, taping meetings can protect both open government and council or board members, who may be wrongly accused of violating the law or of saying something that they didn’t say.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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