The City Council has an opportunity to take a significant step
forward in the near future by embracing the Gilroy Sunshine
Ordinance and the spirit which it reflects.
Our city does need a clear statement reflecting the foundational
principles that should guide local government.
1. Passage would send a simple, yet profound democratic message
The City Council has an opportunity to take a significant step forward in the near future by embracing the Gilroy Sunshine Ordinance and the spirit which it reflects.
Our city does need a clear statement reflecting the foundational principles that should guide local government.
Adopting such an ordinance sends a simple, yet profound democratic message on an overriding principle: Government is the people’s business, and in that spirit “we” the government will endeavor to be as open and transparent as possible.
There is hardly an American premise more fundamental.
2. Endorsing the belief that information belongs to the people
The information from City Hall should flow freely. That flow should not be obstructed by overzealous attorneys nor guarded in the depths of City Hall as if it were the king’s property. For who is king? In our system, the people are king. To clearly express that belief, and endorse in writing the idea that government information belongs to the people, rings a bell for democracy and inclusion.
Information is education. Education leads to an informed citizenry. Democracy is strengthened by information.
It comes down to a very basic question for each elected City Council member: Should the people be trusted with the information?
To adopt a Sunshine Ordinance affirms this basic trust and assures that Gilroy well into the future will foster a culture bent on sharing information in a forthright manner.
3. The ordinance would streamline the information flow to the people
No longer will the city deny requests for information on sizeable cash settlements with former employees. No longer will the public – the very “we the people” who ultimately write the checks – be denied information regarding public employee salaries. No longer will police chiefs and their assistants secretly retire and subsequently sign “secret” extended employment contracts with the city.
It is time to forge a new path.
The ordinance has been scrubbed and discussed. It is fundamentally sound, though a further Council editing process could make it more concise and to the point.
Additionally, the Council should thoroughly discuss the pluses and minuses in relation to one narrow area – the taping of closed session employee dismissal hearings. Though it’s a rare proceeding for the Council, it’s a sensitive arena that should be thoroughly vetted.
It is our hope that the Council will see the light in the Gilroy Sunshine Ordinance and adopt it speedily, thereby sending a fundamental and positive message to the people: They are indeed to be trusted with information and our local government will do all in its power to see that information is shared.
