City records are public
Repeated email requests for an agenda for a Garfield City Council meeting in order to inform the public what was to be discussed were met with requests for a telephone call. Prior to October, The TIMES has been sent an agenda to publish for the week preceding the City Council meeting.
More than a year ago, Garfield city officials changed the date of their meetings in order to facilitate media coverage of meetings. Their previous scheduled was on the same night as Pea Ridge Planning Commission.
The current mayor repeatedly said he wanted to promote transparency in city government. What happened? The TIMES has repeatedly asked to be provided with the same packet of information provided to City Council members for meetings in order to accurately inform the public. That has not happened.
City Council member Katherine Shook said her requests for information, specifically financial documents, have not been answered. Shook’s husband took a day off work, went to City Hall, requested the information and said the mayor refused to give it to him.
Mayor Gary Blackburn said he has provided the information.
Garfield resident, former City Council member and former Justice of the Peace Dale King and his wife, Ellen King, said their requests for information from the mayor have been refused. The Kings said they have hired an attorney and presented the mayor with the written request and a flash drive. The mayor said he had to send the request to Little Rock and it would cost $1,200 for the information. The Kings then countered with an offer to purchase paper and an ink cartridge to receive the information printed. Mrs. King said that when she asked the mayor face to face for the information on Oct. 17, he said he would not give it to her.
The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act is one of the most comprehensive and strongest open-records and open-meetings laws in the United States, according to the state’s attorney general. The law has existed since 1967.
The FOIA requires access to all public records for anyone who requests the information.
Because of the absence of the town’s recorder/ treasurer, the mayor has been short-handed and extremely busy. That is no excuse for not abiding by the law. The FOIA allows three business days when records are either in storage or or in use. If not in storage or in use, the records are to be produced immediately.
The mayor, the City Council members, the recorder/treasurer — all are stewards, public servants of the taxpayers, the voters. Each must constantly remember their position and their salary are due to the voters and taxpayers.
There are some who complain that the strife in Garfield is due to conflicting personalities. That’s irrelevant. Public information is public. Public servants are to provide public information when requested. That is objective, not subjective and is easily proven.
We urge all parties involved to be transparent, honest and forthcoming.