OPINION/EDITORIAL
Smooth, Quiet, and Sympathetic Detonation
By a Former Lake Geneva Alderperson
Wisconsin passed the Open Meeting law to eliminate backroom deals, but contrary to what the law implies it did not eliminate backroom deals it merely changed who does them and how they are done. The “Open Meeting Law” moved the effective control of the city from the city council to non-elected officials. This was accomplished by adding restrictions on City Council members and members of other governmental bodies from discussing city issues with each other except at publicly posted meetings on posted agenda items; while not applying the same restrictions to other city personnel such as the city administrator, public works director, department heads, developers, construction firms and business leaders, who are all free to discuss the issues at length without restriction. These discussions, which are out of the public’s view, are where backroom deals, agreements, and understandings are made. Then with short notice, it is given to the city council for their rubber stamp approval. Such was the case with Resolution 10-R60 in which the non-elected city personnel managed to slide the city’s payment of the $244,000 Wight-River Crossing assessment through the city council without the awareness of the alderpersons who voted on it.
I understand why the “Open Meetings Law” was passed, but while an alderperson, I found the restriction on free speech in and outside of meetings so frustrating that I even paid the Regional News for ads to try and get information out to the public. The then new Ordinance, 13-05 passed by the city council, transferred even more control from the city council to the non-elected city officials by permitting the city administrator, by himself or a committee by itself, to place an item on the city council agenda with as little as a 24-hour public notice, while requiring the mayor, and or two council members, to give a two Friday notice to put the same item on the city council agenda. Those appointees who run the city are reducing city council control of the city. At both the local levels and national levels, the effect of those who are elected to control the government is being minimized. Piece by piece, and at all levels, the people are losing control over their representative in government. Whatever differences we have, we need to set them aside and work together, because if “We the People” do not reassert active control of our government, then the government will take active control of us.
This is not a bleak and difficult time for the United States, as the war on ‘terror’ wound down, the pandemic’s effects receded and businesses across the land made windfall profits. Yes, wars are going on in Ukraine and Gaza but there’s plenty of time for some necessary renewal. We must wrest power from our misguided, misinformed, or downright domineering bureaucrats instead of silently allowing them more and more power over our everyday lives. This effort must be undertaken on the local level first. We are home here. Let’s act like this is our home, not simply those chosen to administrate it. There’s new management in Lake Geneva, following the April 2ndelection, and this becomes an opportunity for new leadership to step in, take over make the budget truly public, relieving some administrators of overpaid six-figure salaries and recreating an atmosphere of trust, and intelligence, plus some elegant and friendly business policies.
