Citizen Concerned About Potential Open Meeting Act Violation

As an attendee of commission meetings for years, I found it concerning that our commission would go into executive session, speaking privately and excluding the public without announcing why the meetings were being closed.

In an effort to understand this, I contacted the New Mexico Attorney General’s office as well as New Mexican’s for Open Government (NNMFOG) to obtain a full understanding of a public bodies ability to shut the public out from discussions at meetings.

From my queries I believe that our commission has violated the Open Meeting Act when closing sessions on numerous occasions.  As a citizen I approached the commission’s attorney, Dennis Wallin, expressing my concern and asking if he would address my concerns with the commission.

I did not see any discussion regarind concerns expressed to the county attorney at commission meetings so I brought my concerns directly to our commission at the October 24, 2012 meeting.   

I appreciate that opportunity to express my concerns to our commission and hope that each commissioner will follow up and seek clarification from the agency that has over site of the Open Meeting Act, the New Mexico Attorney General.