Creating A More Transparent Local Government...
Legislation Proposal: June , 2025
What Windham needs to adopt is a comprehensive piece of local legislation to create a set of formalized rules for the following:
Public Hearings
Reporting Of Public Meetings Minutes
Simplified Systems Of Reporting Public Budgets And Other Information Of That Nature
Access To Public Officals
Since New York State is a Home Rule State local governments like our own can easily create laws that help to define procedures that complement already existing state laws such as the Freedom of Information Law and Open Meetings. The goal of my proposal is to create a unified local system that allows our residents (and the General Public) greater access to public information. It is also the goal of the law to reduce the burden on the local town clerk and ensure that the Local Government is in compliance with all previously mentioned State Statutes. My goal is to create a comprehensive local statute that does the following:
Structures Public Meetings and Hearings in a way that allows for maximum public interaction.
Utilizes Windham’s Town Website as a source for all public information.
Creates a Public Record that is transparent and universal in nature.
Engages with the Public to maximize their ability to understand and interact with the government in a positive and informed manner.
After many interactions with our local Government, I feel that many of the processes are currently being obscured through bureaucratic measures. Instead, we can simply make this information open to the public directly and this will streamline the workload of the full-time government employees while increasing the public’s knowledge.
As a member of the General Public, everyone should be able to access Public Information via the Town’s website, freely speak, and have their concerns answered at public meetings and hearings. This is how a democratic government functions. And why we need to embrace these values at our local level.