Op-Ed; Government Transparency and Visibility – Thought Provoking Questions

By Rebecca Wallis

NEWBERG, OR – October 19, 2024

What does government transparency look like to you? If you have children, is it making sure that the school district communicates with you effectively and openly? If you care about parks and activities, is it the accessibility of information regarding new parks and the schedule of maintenance on existing parks? If you are on a fixed income, is it the assurance from the city you live in that they will not raise taxes or fees that might price you out of groceries?

If you are a data-driven person, do you want access to records that show the statistics and budget information of the government agency tasked with spending your tax dollars wisely? What does that access look like to you? Should it be free? Should the information be on self-serve websites? Should there be time limits from the date you requested it? What information do you think should be private and not accessible?

These types of questions make us think about the information we should receive in exchange for our tax dollars and living in a free society. What level of transparency does a government entity owe to the people it serves? Why does it continue to shock us when a staff member or elected official is caught purposely hiding information and records from the public?

Each sector of government has a different set of activists, advocates, and members of the public who care about what they are doing, based on how that government sector affects their life. This could be why people without children may not care much about education transparency or school choice. It could explain why people engrossed in raising their kids may not involve themselves in issues like potholes, rising water bills, or how the police do or do not issue tickets. It could also be why a large majority do not understand the financial concerns of seniors on fixed incomes.

Before becoming involved in the government process as media, my personal journey in seeking transparency and visibility revealed the full spectrum of government responsiveness—from receiving vast amounts of information for free to facing record requests costing over $1,000 for minimal data. I’ve encountered agencies that claim certain records are not in the public interest, denying fee waivers, while others waive all fees for similar requests based on community involvement.

After becoming a media owner and striving to bring unbiased information to our local community, I was met with varying degrees of responsiveness from different government agencies. From being recognized and admitted to executive sessions to being denied entry by agencies that refused to acknowledge media rights or recognize that citizen journalists, bloggers, newspapers, and vloggers have the same rights as mainstream media. I believe government agencies are beholden to the people, as outlined in the United States Constitution. The media has a right, duty, and obligation to be in places where the public is excluded, to ensure that government agencies are following the laws, rules, and regulations they are required to adhere to.

With all of this in mind, now I ask: How transparent and visible should government entities be, and how accountable to the people should they be?
Will you attend your next city council, school board, park and recreation, or county commissioner meeting and become more involved? Will you advocate for greater transparency?

Editor’s Note: Rebecca Wallis is the Managing Editor of Yamhill County News, a role she took on after purchasing the paper in June 2024. Though new to local journalism, she is passionate about providing unbiased information and advocating for government transparency. She is actively involved in local civic and political discussions in Newberg, Oregon.