Freeman Supports Arthur’s Stance
According to an April 17 letter, Robert J. Freeman supports the contentions of Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority (BFSA) secretary George K. Arthur, who has disputed the search process for a new executive director of the entity. (See Control Freaks, and this story for background.)
Freeman is the Executive Director of the Committee on Open Government at the NYS Department of State in Albany. He offers his view on a number of questions raised by Arthur, including whether a committee meeting is subject to the same rules as the authority and whether the public and press must be notified of such meetings.
Freeman notes that an “advisory body, such as a citizens’ advisory committee, would not in my opinion be subject to the Open Meetings Law.” But he continues, “when a committee consists solely of members of a public body, such as the Board of Directors of the Authority, I believe that the Open Meetings Law is applicable.” (more…)
