Where's the Transparency, Mayor Rockinberg?

Dear Citizens- 

Residents and taxpayers need to know the truth about what’s happening in our local government. 

It is any citizen’s right to ask elected officials to provide public documents under the Freedom of Information Act and the States Public Information Act. Upon request, elected officials are required by law to comply.

Here in Mount Airy, our elected officials seem to think they are held to a different standard. Some elected officials think they are above the law, and our esteemed Mayor doesn’t seem to think that’s a problem. 

In a February 22^nd Carroll County Times article regarding the I-70 Annexation, Councilman Dave Pyatt was quoted as stating the following:

 "The direction of the annex changed from favorable to less favorable after I stepped down. There were new expectations that I don't think were ever transferred or articulated to the petitioners. At the beginning of the proposed annexation process, he said the council had an understanding, but no written agreement, to try and keep the costs associated with the proposed annexation low, something he said didn't continue into the current council."

After reading the above I felt compelled to obtain information about such an “understanding.” After all, the council is the body that votes on an annexation request. It shouldn’t be a body that is making deals behind the scenes with the petitioners. If such deals are being made unbeknown to the residents and taxpayers, they have a right to know every detail about such an “understanding.” 

On February 23^rd, I filed a request for public documents regarding the controversial I-70 annexation. 

 

All council-members produced their documents with the exception of Councilman David Pyatt. Councilman Pyatt appears to believe compliance with the law is optional. He refused to cooperate and turn over his official Town emails on the Town’s server, citing they were private. As a result of Dave Pyatt’s non-compliance the Town turned the entire matter over to the Town Attorney costing the taxpayers $6000.

Instead of supporting transparency in his administration, and condemning Councilman Pyatt for obstruction, the Mayor is scrutinizing me, the citizen requesting access to public documents and using his power and authority to make the request financially unattainable. Mayor Rockinberg is now trying to pawn off 25% of this charge requiring me to pay $1577.00 before he will release these documents I requested under the Freedom of Information and Public Information Act.   

This cost could have been avoided had Councilman Pyatt complied with the law. 

On March 25^th, I requested a waiver of fees. You can read the Mayor’s full 3 page response to my request for a waiver of fees  here.  http://ow.ly/4yzmE

 

In the Mayor’s response to my request for a waiver of fees, the Mayor asserts that my request for these documents does not relate to an issue that immediately threatens to impact  the health, welfare or safety of the public or in some manner poses a danger to the property of the Town, its citizens or the general public. 

I assert that the Mayor is stonewalling this process. How does he know what's in the documents? Does he know for sure there is no "understanding" that could impact or threatens the health, welfare or safety of our residents? Does he know for sure that any "understanding" didn't or doesn't pose a danger to property of the Town or citizens? Isn't he concerned that Councilman Dave Pyatt eludes to some "understanding" among council-members to keep costs low? 


The citizens of the Town, as well as the residents (petitioners) South of I-70 have the ultimate right to know about any “super-sized” handshake or “understanding” made between Dave Pyatt, who was Mayor at the time, any other council-members or commission members and the I-70 petitioners or their leader.

The public benefit in making this information available is as follows—

• All of the homes and businesses on the 600 acres utilize private wells and septic. Regardless of any annexation agreement, the State has authority to order the Town to extend public services if there is a public health or pollution problem such as could occur with long term drought or failing septic.
• Further, there is no provision for recouping the costs of extending water and sewer to this area, therefore had this annexation been approved, or should it come back to the table in the future, whatever "understandings" there were between our elected Town officials as noted by councilman Pyatt in his statement to the CC Times on February 22, does threaten to impact the health, welfare and safety of the public and poses a very disturbing danger to all the town’s residents both financially and legally.
  

I would like to thank council-members Dave Blais, Peter Helt and Wendi Peters for making their documents immediately available and readily complying with this request as is required of them by law. Your dedication to putting citizens first is appreciated and noted.

Join me in having your voice be heard in demanding that the Mayor make these documents available to the public. Please forward this blog to everyone you know who is interested in transparency in our Government.