Opening up
about closed meetings

“You campaign in poetry but govern in prose.” Mario Cuomo’s pontification on the pretense of politics was both an indictment of promises not delivered and an explanation why details often derail them.

These days, we hardly have to worry about whether national politicians are letting details derail promises. Pesky things like the Constitution and decades of legislation don’t seem to be stopping the MAGA freight train.

In Marion, however, are politicians following through on what they promised back in October and November of 2023, when they were running for office?

Indeed, they’ve succeeded in taming city council meetings — often making them so pleasant they resemble black-and-white “Pleasantville” more than “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” Some seem more like student council meetings than city council meetings.

Election winners still haven’t mentioned what they said would be a high priority — cleaning up charter ordinances so amateurishly patched over that even the city attorney admitted it was hard to tell for sure whether the mayor has a right to vote, and the council has authority to fill a vacancy.

Cuomo’s adage may explain this shortcoming. Although definitely needed, rewriting Marion’s charter ordinances probably couldn’t be completed easily in meetings that are all smiles and last less than an hour.

One other promise made by every candidate back in 2023 will be easy to adopt or divorce in coming weeks: restoring real openness and transparency beyond merely exchanging endearing — some say sophomoric — wisecracks on podcasts.

Marion soon will begin considering candidates to permanently replace interim administrator Mark McAnarney.

To be determined is whether council members will embrace openness and let the public in on the process or perpetuate past patterns of secrecy, which in no small way may have contributed to a revolving door in the administrator’s office.

Past councils have argued that candidates demand anonymity lest current employers know they are looking for a job.

Hogwash!

Most of what we learned about people Marion hired in the past came from articles published after they were interviewed in public or met with average citizens during searches in other towns.

Even if that weren’t true, every public employee — yours truly was one for 26 years — knows you don’t want to keep job searches a secret. The best way to argue for more money, more responsibility, or a more impressive title is to let your employer know you are being courted by someone else.

What’s wrong with the approach Hillsboro schools recently took in inviting candidates for superintendent to meet teachers, parents, and members of the public in open sessions that gave candidates a chance to articulate their visions for the job?

Not only do Citizens feel more involved. Those who will make hiring decisions also get a real-world opportunity to evaluate how candidates deal with the public and are able to unite people behind desired goals.

Considering candidates behind closed doors opens the door to officials and staff venting personal vendettas that encourage candidates to weaponize government against political enemies. Gee, that hasn’t happened in Marion, has it?

One of the positive lessons to be learned from police raids Aug. 11, 2023, is how openness at any level, at any time could have saved the city months of frustration and potentially millions of dollars.

Letting the public in on selecting a new city administrator not only would fulfill campaign promises. It might actually be the city’s first steps toward recovery from a mess everyone wishes had never happened.

— ERIC MEYER