Open Government Initiative

NASSAU COUNTY CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC.

"The government is us, we are the government, you and I." Teddy Roosevelt

The issue of accountability is an important aspect of honest government. Government can only be honest by being open and transparent. As the people are the ultimate arbiters of the direction of government, it is imperative that their decision is one in which they are fully informed.

Our founding fathers believed in checks and balances in the operation of government to ensure accountability. This was the basis for the three separate branches of government; the legislature, the executive branch and the judiciary. This is the principle that applies to federal, state and local government. An example would be legislative oversight of the executive branch. This is not only reasonable but effective.

The county legislature has 19 independent elected legislators. All owe a duty to represent their constituents to the best of their ability and have an obligation to ensure open and honest government. This can only be accomplished by the disclosure of all fiscal and budgetary information under consideration. Unless there is a lawful basis to withhold this information, any action to deny or delay its release is wrong.

County Executive Tom Suozzi has refused to disclose fiscal and budgetary information to the minority party in the legislature. As the Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs refused to issue subpoenas, the minority filed several Freedom of Information requests. The executive branch then denied the requests resulting in the filing of several lawsuits to compel the release of information. While politics certainly plays a role, not all politics are bad if the outcome benefits the people. How does this benefit the people when government is not transparent and taxpayer money is wasted to pay the legal fees for both sides?

The need for open and honest government extends to all levels of government. This is validated by numerous fiscal scandals involving school districts and some recent scandals involving villages. While several government entities do provide a budget summation, most of the information is general in nature and does not include specific details. While the devil is in the details, the people have a right to know.

Accordingly, we would recommend that all governmental entities in Nassau county; the county, towns, cities, villages and school districts post their full line item budget on the internet and provide hard copies to all public libraries located in their jurisdiction.

This open government initiative would ensure that local residents are fully informed as to how their tax dollars are being utilized. This openness will encourage greater accountability by the municipalities and will facilitate public participation as this information is readily accessible.

Letters were sent in November and December to all governmental entities in Nassau county recommending adoption of this initiative. As most of the municipalities have active websites and their budget and financial information is in an electronic format (Lotus, Excel), the cost would be insignificant. The Town of Hempstead has recently adopted this reform initiative.

We trust the people. Our government should as well.