Carefree Truth

Issue #240, April 25, 2013

 

 

 

Carefree resident Jim Pierce had filed complaints to the Arizona Attorney General's (AG) Office about what he perceived to be seven Open Meeting Law (OML) violations.  Six of those were resolved in favor of the Town.  The Assistant AG determined that Vice Mayor Melissa Price's actions in speaking to more than a quorum of other Council members outside of a public meeting concerning four year staggered terms were an "inadvertent violation".  This issue had been discussed both previous to her actions, and afterwards, in  public meetings.

 

 

 

The AG's resolution to solve the violation was twofold.  Discussion of the violation in a public meeting was the first, which was accomplished at the April 16th meeting.  The second specified that each Council member is to attend training about the open meeting laws within three months, which will allow new Councilman Les Peterson to participate.  The Council voted unanimously for the Mayor to sign the letter of acceptance. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUr8qUj4vY8    

 

 

The AG also sited an agenda deficiency in the annual Carefree Town Hall type meeting.  These meetings have traditionally been attended by the entire Council and topics were citizen driven. The agenda read, "This is a meeting open to the public to exchange information with citizens.  No legal decisions will be made."   The law disallows non specified exchanges of information with citizens, and states that all potential subjects must be listed on the agenda.  There could be 150 items listed but if one is broached that is not listed, it may not be addressed.  The AG also directed that a Council quorum could not be present at these meetings. 

 

 

 

The resolution for this was the same as for the OML violation.  The Council voted 6-1 for the Mayor to sign the letter of acceptance.  Vice Mayor Price voted no on principle, saying she felt that was the wrong message to send to the citizens of Carefree.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McfbVMWxmqI

 

 

Lyn Hitchon

 

 

 

 

Prepared by Carefree Truth

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