The Sierra Vista Herald
What irony that on Sunshine Week — a period on the national calendar that celebrates the importance of government transparency — a member of the Sierra Vista City Council suggests that the practice of televising council work sessions be discontinued.
Before we jump to conclusions, let’s be careful about the possible intentions of this idea. Perhaps there was a sincere concern that the presence of a television camera at these meetings provides too much opportunity for one or more members of the council to grandstand. Maybe the focus was tied to the expense of offering this service at a time when the city is scrambling for funds.
And who is watching? How many Sierra Vistans are tuned in to the sometimes grinding boredom of watching their city government in action?
Or, maybe the idea was exactly as it was stated, which pointed to a concern that council members feel inhibited by the presence of a television camera and thereby do not freely contribute to discussions during these meetings.
If that’s the case, we object.
Related: Our View: On behalf of government transparency — local and national — this ‘Sunshine Week’
