The RCA ran on a platform of open and transparent government. Elect us, they said, and the Board's workings will be viewable to all. No more back room deals or non-public meetings. A brave new dawn for the true believers.
So what are they doing now? Per the Landmark, President Gorman and Trustee Sacchi are personally reviewing the budget and meeting with staff to formulate recommendations to be discussed by the board on June 2. While Trustee Sussman is apparently involved in these discussions to a limited degree, it seems clear from the Landmark article that this process is essentially the work of Gorman and Sacchi. What's interesting is that they have refused to share their ideas and discoveries, keeping the rest of the Board--and the Village--in the dark until the June 2 meeting.
In meetings earlier this year, Trustees Sells and Sussman asked that these discussions of Village finances be held at public meetings, where all Board members--and members of the public--could listen and make comments. Trustee Sacchi stated that "I don't agree with doing that at this point," Sacchi said. "I see my job as giving the board viable options to consider."
Think about this for a minute. Two Board members are having discussions and making plans that will have an enormous impact on the future of the Village, and refuse to bring the rest of the Board along. Two Board members have taken it on themselves to meet with staff, analyze the issues and present recommendations to the Board as a whole, with only limited input from one other Board member--and will expect the other Board members to make decisions without having even discussed these proposals, or gauged the criteria that Messrs. Gorman and Saachi used to develop their recommendations. And when Trustee Sells has the temerity to suggest that this may not be a good idea, President Gorman blasts him in the press for, among other things, his "lack of willingness to work collaboratively on matters as opposed to using public forums, either at board meetings or in letters to the editor." President Gorman's distaste for "public forums" and the press is, I think, instructive as to his mindset towards open government.
The ironic thing about this is that the RCA members have pointed to the elimination of the Committee of The Whole as an example of their committment to open and transparent government. The reality is that the elimination of this committee makes it impossible for the Board as a whole to conduct the kind of review that needs to be done. The purpose of the Committee of the Whole is to enable the Board to discuss these issues, and gain insight and plan policy in a collaborative effort with other Board members. Significantly, minutes were kept of meetings of the Committee of the Whole, and while public comment was not allowed, residents were still able to attend. Now, because of the elimination of that committee, we have a situation where two Board members are operating by themselves, in screcy, with extremely limited input from the other trustees. These meetings are not subject to the Open Meetings act, and there is no requirement that any minutes, memos or other memorialization of their discussions be maintained.
Is this the Open and Transparent government that the RCA wants? Unfortunately, I think it is. They'll give lip service to the concept, and put videos of meetings on the Village web site, but when it comes down to brass tacks, they have no interest in working with the other trustees, or allowing Village residents any insight into the process.