Trumbull commissioners shy away from spotlight

It's no accident that Ohio's open meetings law is commonly referred to as the "Sunshine Law." It was the intent of the General Assembly to let government officials at all levels know that openness is next to godliness when it comes to doing the people's work. That intent has been memorialized in numerous state Supreme Court rulings: Sunshine not only allows the public to see what's going on, but it also lets governments grow and prosper.
Darkness, on the other hand, is anathema to good governance.
It should come as no surprise, therefore, that officials who shy away from the spotlight of public scrutiny invariably end up in some type of a jam.
Take, for instance, the situation in Trumbull County. The three county commissioners are at the center of a bubbling controversy over the procedures for buying supplies, yet a Vindicator review of the minutes of the board of commissioners' meetings shows that public discussion on important issues such as paying bills, entering into contracts, hiring, firing and disciplining employees, construction projects and promoting development is virtually nonexistent.
More often than not, commissioners Joseph Angelo, Michael O'Brien and James Tsagaris merely cast a vote -- with not a word of explanation. Thus, reporters and others in the audience are left to fend for themselves as far as getting the details.
No public explanation
To be sure, housekeeping matters rarely require lengthy debate, but as the front page story in Sunday's edition revealed, Angelo, O'Brien and Tsagaris seem to have a penchant for conducting important business in the dark -- away from the public spotlight. One instance highlighted by Vindicator reporters had to do with the expansion of the duties of Tony Carson, the county's purchasing director. Department heads were notified by letter of the commissioners' decision, but there was no public explanation offered.
We do not need to be reminded that Ohio's Sunshine Law gives public officials the ability to meet behind closed doors to discuss specific issues, such as personnel, collective bargaining, legal matters and the sale or purchase of property, but there is a great deal of discretion involved.
And as we have repeatedly argued in this space, closed-door meetings (executive sessions) should not give rise to closed-mouth governing. The people have a right to know what's going on in the courthouse, city hall or the statehouse.
But what is even more disconcerting about the way the Trumbull County commissioners conduct business is their failure to follow the procedure spelled out in state law for going into executive sessions. In addition, there seems to be an attitude that because their offices are next to each other, there's nothing to stop them from indulging in substantive discussions.
We would remind the commissioners that the Supreme Court has ruled that one-on-one deliberations are in violation of the Sunshine Law if the intent is determine how the officeholders plan to vote.
As we have done in the past with other government entities that have attempted to work around the state's open meetings law, we offer this advice to Angelo, O'Brien and Tsagaris: Let the sun shine in.