April 22, 2010
For Immediate Release
Tarrant Regional Water District Board Members Spark Serious Legal Question After Interview
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - April 22, 2010 - In a stunning revelation, two members of the Tarrant Regional Water District's board of directors seem to have admitted the board routinely violates the state's Open Meetings Statute.
The Texas Open Meetings Act clearly states that committee meetings are not exempt from the statute. The Open Meetings 2010 Handbook provided by Attorney General Greg Abbott says,
"(I)f a government body that has established an advisory committee routinely adopts or 'rubber stamps' the advisory committee's recommendations, the committee will be considered to be a governmental body subject to the Act."
Violators of the Act are subject to fine and/or imprisonment.
"I can't say I'm surprised," said Adrian Murray, one of two candidates vying for a board seat in the May 8 municipal election. "Trying to find out what goes on behind closed doors at this ultra-secretive body is more difficult than prying secrets from the old KGB. To learn that the public board meetings are nothing more than dog and pony shows to adopt policies and plans concocted out of public view should outrage the general public. The fact that they openly admit it to the editorial board of the Star Telegram shows an appalling arrogance. Rather than endorsing them for reelection, the paper should be calling for them to be brought up on charges."
John Basham, who is running a joint campaign with Murray for the two seats coming up for election, is equally troubled by the admission. "Just who is on these committees? Do they keep minutes? Is the public notified when these committees meet? There really needs to be an investigation into this matter as it is a clear violation of the public trust."
The Tarrant Regional Water District is a public utility mandated with ensuring sufficient supplies of clean water and flood control in its area of jurisdiction. In recent years, charge Murray and Basham, the District has wandered from its stated mission and is spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in an economic development scheme known as the Trinity River Vision.
www.TarrantVotes.com
Contact Information:
Adrian Murray
817.991.9604
Adrian@TarrantVotes.com
John Basham
817.846.3695
John@TarrantVotes.com
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