Dear Editor:
On Tuesday, March 20th, voters of Macoupin County were asked to weigh in on the non-binding question as to whether or not the County Board should meet during daytime or evening hours. More than 84% of the County’s voters who cast a ballot in the election said the Board should conduct its official monthly business in the evenings.
In 2008 following the mine closure, the members of the County Board took what was a first step in a long series of reforms by voting to place on the ballot a similar non-binding referendum asking the voters whether the size of the County Board should be reduced from 27 to 18 members.
Facing dropping sales tax revenues and high unemployment due to the mine closures, this bi-partisan action of the County Board was intended to begin the process of focusing all efforts toward making county government more efficient-we embraced all efforts, including putting the microscope on ourselves as a County Board.
More than 62% of the voters in 2008 favored the change suggested by this ballot question. The members of the County Board responded by putting into motion the wishes of the voters by implementing a 1/3 reduction in the size of our County Board. We also cut our pay. The members of the County Board, both republicans and democrats, stood up and did the right thing.
In this instance, both the voters and the County Board got it right and a groundbreaking government reform in Macoupin County was implemented.
The end result of our actions combined with the result of the election will save County taxpayers more than $40,000 annually. We listened to the message of all voters: the County Board needs to do more while spending less.
The time has come for another reform. The question of whether the County Board should hold meetings in the evening is an idea that has been discussed at length by the County Board for several years. To that point, I will continue to express my support for moving the County Board meetings to the evening hours as I believe it will better serve the interest of the people of Macoupin County by allowing more participation from the public.
Since the mine closures, the Macoupin County Board and the County Elected Officials have readily embraced open government and transparent processes in their daily operations. I am proud to say that our county government has worked together to balance the budget. Opening up government has helped us to balance the budget.
I am also proud of the fact that our Board and officials have taken proactive steps to increase transparency in government through simple and straight-forward actions like the placement of the full county audit, monthly county checkbook summaries, a salary database, all board meeting agendas and meeting minutes on our county website for public inspection and public scrutiny.
Sunshine creates better government and Macoupin County is setting an example on how to do it.
It is time to take the next step and listen to the voters of Macoupin County who have now weighed in and have requested that the County Board conduct its business in the evenings to allow for more public participation.
Sincerely,
Andy Manar
Macoupin County Board Chairman
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