It’s no surprise... I’m pretty passionate about community journalism. Not only does it run in my blood; but I truly take pride in the work we get to do and the people we get to serve. One of our biggest tasks is simply serving the community as a “watch dog,” informing them of happenings and ensuring that local entities are held accountable. Confrontation isn’t fun; yet, I find myself in the cross hairs from time to time. As a community watch dog, we also work hard to educate not only elected officials but the public as a whole, of rules/guidelines put in place for open government in our state. But, what happens if an entity violates the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) or the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA)? Typically, it’s simply mandated training, but each elected board or council member could face a fine up to $500 each. This is to them personally, not to the board/council they are serving.
In recent week’s, our office has received multiple questions about KOMA/KORA. They ranged from additional information being sought, as well as some wishing to file a complaint and needing to know how to file (which is done by visiting the Kansas Attorney General’s website and filing a complaint online or reporting to your county attorney). Although it won’t answer all the questions, as a true training could, we have included a full page of KOMA/KORA tidbits to assist those wishing to understand the acts a little more.
With various trainings not being offered, I would be willing to host another training if enough interest was there. If interested, please let me know by emailing me at news@eurekaherald.com.
Robin Wunderlich
Quote of the Week “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government”~ Thomas Jefferson
