Editor,
The Washington State Open Public Meetings Act is a legal requirement that our elected representatives are required to adhere to.
Whidbey Health’s Board of Commissioners latest examples of violating the state OPMA by casting anonymous written ballots is shockingly disrespectful to the oath of office the Board of Commissioners swore to uphold. This board is no stranger to being caught doing things incorrectly; how could they be this negligent in understanding their requirements for their public role?
Board Member Wallin is quoted as stating, “Normally I would run it by our in-house counsel, but we don’t have one right now.”
This elected board, and all our elected boards, are required to know they cannot take secret votes, votes can never be anonymous either.
Washington state requires every elected person, including citizen advisory boards, to take the OPMA trainings. The first training is required by state law within 90 days of being seated, the second required within four years.
Did WhidbeyHealth’s Board of Commissioners simply skip taking these required trainings? These classes are free to everyone.
In 2022, the OPMA regulations have become even more rigidly pro public. Excellent news! Here is the first paragraph from the set of RCWs:
RCW 42.30.010 Legislative declaration. The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.
The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed and informing the people’s public servants of their views so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. For these reasons, even when not required by law, public agencies are encouraged to incorporate and accept public comment during their decision-making process.
Our various public boards, commissions and committees do not exist to make decisions in the dark. Be certain we hold them to that fact.
Leanne Finlay
Freeland
