Is the Sun Shining on Local Government in Marin?

Sunshine Week, a national initiative launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors to educate the public about the importance of open government, kicks off Monday, March 11. We want to use this opportunity to celebrate, converse, comment, debate and educate the Ross Valley about the importance of open government and the public’s right to know what government is doing and why.

This year Sunshine Week, funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami, is co-sponsored by ASNE and the Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press and many other media industry partners, including Patch. The goal is to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. 

In California, there are two acts that provide open access to public meetings, The Brown Act and The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act. We also have the California Public Records Act that gives citizens access to all kinds of public information that is useful to communities.

Here in San Anselmo and Fairfax, both towns are working to improve their transparency, considering streaming meetings and posting information on their websites.

But there are a two things about which we'd like to hear from you:

• Do you know any Ross Valley residents who have championed local government transparency? The Sunshine Week organization is holding a national Local Heroes contest and nominations are due this week. Use this form to submit nominations. 
• Have you faced any challenges with government transparency in our town, whether at either town hall, the Ross Valley School District or the fire department? Share your stories below in the comments section.
• Are there any policy you'd like to see our local government agencies institute to improve transparency? Let us (and them) know.