The Florida Times-Union
Submitted by Steve Patterson on June 3, 2013 – 1:31pm
A Jacksonville City Council panel approved some changes to the city’s open-government rules Monday that the city’s ethics director had proposed as streamlining measures.
The council’s Rules Committee stopped short of agreeing to cancel a yearly review by council auditors of how well the council adhered to the 2007 Jacksonville Sunshine Law Compliance Act. The act requires public notices be made in advance and minutes posted afterward of any council meeting involving public business.
Auditors had found nearly complete compliance, and ethics director Carla Miller had favored making future reviews subject to a request by the council president or Miller’s office.
Bill aims to loosen Jacksonville’s open meetings law
It would eliminate annual audit on City Council’s compliance with Sunshine act
Six years after Jacksonville tightened its open-government rules over meetings violations involving City Council members, the city’s ethics director is championing an effort to loosen some requirements she argues are unproductive.
Council President Bill Bishop has filed legislation (bill 2013-285) that he said ethics director Carla Miller suggested to change the Jacksonville Sunshine Law Compliance Act, a 2007 law that builds upon state open-government requirements. The state rules would not change.
“I filed that bill at Carla’s request. … This wasn’t even something that was on my radar screen,” Bishop said.
