A dispute over a sign-in sheet at a recent Town of Mentz Board meeting has triggered backlash online, renewed questions about New York’s Open Meetings Law, and accusations from a local news outlet that one of its journalists was improperly removed from the public session.
Signing in at a public meeting is not something a board can require. Green Gator News says its reporter Jerry Green was removed from the May 19 meeting after declining to put his name on the sheet; Supervisor Mark Emerson defended the removal on safety grounds and said Green would have been welcome had he identified himself. State guidance has long held that a public body cannot make identifying yourself the price of attending an open meeting.
Read the full story: Mentz board meeting dispute sparks questions about public access, sign-in policy — FingerLakes1.com, May 25, 2026.
What the law says about attending: New York’s Open Meetings Law.
