As we head into 2017, five bills addressing the Right-to-Know law go into effect.
As citizens, our right to examine documents produced by public bodies is protected by this law. As part of our responsibility as a newspaper, the Ledger-Transcript has filed Right-to-Know requests for information that we think you, our readers, need to know.
The ability to file a Right-to-Know request, however is not limited to the press. Citizens are able to file requests as well.
This law is one that should be protected so the process of town government to be as transparent as possible.
When our elected officials meet, citizens have a right to examine documents produced by those public bodies. These documents include a board or commission’s public minutes as well.
A cursory look at town websites in our coverage area reveals a large number of boards that do not post minutes regularly. (Indeed, one group has not posted meeting minutes in two years.) And any of our reporters can tell you that in the many meetings they cover, they are the only one in attendance.
We will continue this year, as we have in the past years, to ensure that we provide our readers with the information they need in order to make decisions as citizens in a democracy.
Meetings are being held throughout the Monadnock region as town boards are preparing budgets for the Town Meeting season in March.
We encourage our readers to take up the charge as well, and find the time to sit in on a budget committee meeting in the town in which they live.