All Otsego - Transparency, Accountability a Must

When Governor Hochul first took office in 2021, she promised a new era of government transparency. She committed to restoring New Yorkers’ faith in their government by improving transparency and increasing government accountability.

The New York Coalition For Open Government has documented large scale non-compliance with the Open Meetings Law and the Freedom of Information Law at the local level. For example:

• 72 percent of towns not posting meeting documents online
• 25 percent of towns not posting meeting minutes or a recording
• 39 percent of counties failed to acknowledge a FOIL request within five business days as required by law
• 75 percent of planning boards not posting meeting documents online
• Only 25 percent of villages posted meeting minutes online
• 35 percent of villages did not even post a meeting agenda
• Out of 158 school district executive session motions reviewed, 61 percent were not in compliance with the Open Meetings Law