In effect since 1962, Arizona’s Open Meeting Law exists to “1) protect the public; 2) protect public officials; 3) maintain integrity of government; 4) better informed citizenry; 5) build trust between government and citizenry.”
“All meetings of any public body shall be public meetings and all persons so desiring shall be permitted to attend and listen to the deliberations and proceedings.” A.R.S § 38-431.01(A).
It is the public policy of this state that meetings of public bodies be conducted openly and that notices and agendas be provided for such meetings which contain such information as is reasonable necessary to inform the public of the matters to be discussed or decided. A.R.S. § 38-431.09.”
The law requires 24 hours notice to the members of the public entity and to the general public that a meeting is to be held.
Click here for the full pdf file
Example: January 14, 2010, a candidate forum was scheduled and held at the offices of Keep Sedona Beautiful (KSB). Issue: 4 people currently serving on the Sedona City Council as either Councilors or Mayor were on the dais. Several current Sedona Councilors were planning to attend.
4 members of the Sedona City Council constitute a quorum.
Instead of rescheduling the forum, KSB chose to continue its presentation, without all the candidates. Only Rob Adams, Nancy Scagnelli, and Dan Surber acted in the forum as sitting members. All others chose to miss the forum.
Why would this be an issue? A question asked of all candidates, with consensus of the 4 council candidates currently serving terms, could be construed as policy-making…
Emails, meeting for dinner, conference calls… all need to be mindful of the “open meeting” law of Arizona. And it is especially difficult in small towns where people all know each other.
Have a beautify Sedona day!
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