An editorial from The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — And to think it was children we thought we should be doing a better job of teaching civics.
Who would think a longtime mayor is clueless about our state ’s Open Meetings and Open Records laws?
Not to mention who also fails to understand the need to pay taxes, or the public’s right to know when “mistakes were made.”
As if matters were not bad enough, Rowlesburg’s mayor also fails to grasp the first rule of crisis management: When you’re in a hole, stop digging.
It’s bad enough this town’s government is under investigation for unpaid federal and state payroll taxes.
But to make matters worse, the mayor informed residents she will only answer questions about these unpaid taxes if they come to town hall, not in public.
Furthermore, she refused to answer questions from anyone who was not a resident.
Including the media, who the mayor requested the Preston County sheriff keep out of Monday’s meeting. To his credit, he refused after informing her that’s a violation of state code.
Finally, not unlike how tantrums often end, she gathered her things and left the meeting —only to return, twice.
There appears to be some dispute over exactly how aware the public was about the $122,466 in unpaid payroll taxes, discovered in a 2013 state audit.
Though council members and the mayor attested that this issue has come up at past council meetings, it was hardly a case of textbook transparency.
When even the town’s residents are unaware their local government is under investigation and was allegedly denied grants because of unpaid taxes, or are unaware of this case’s status, that speaks volumes.
You might think the public sector of our society has a monopoly on mistakes, or what some might call waste, fraud and abuse.
But it happens in the private and nonprofit sectors, too, and it shakes the windows and rattles the walls of their credibility, as well.
However, when $122,466 in “mistakes ” discreetly occur in government, they do much more damage.
Not just simply because they affect public funds, but more importantly, because these bodies and agencies are expected to be an open book.
In this instance, it appears that though this news was not a “secret, ” it hardly rose to the level of public knowledge.
“Mistakes ” cannot be undone simply by openly taking responsibility for them, though that’s a good start.
But above all, observe the Law of Holes when realizing your mistake: Stop digging.
Also make an effort to set the record straight —publicly —and move on.
Oh, and paying taxes is fundamental to good citizenship.
