Your Say:
Calvert Countians enjoy a culture of service and reasonable access to elected officials and county staff. We can call our officials and county department heads and ask questions and give opinions.
Transparency in government requires more than access to officials, however. Transparency is an ongoing process. In a free society, two criteria especially are essential: public access to information and public understanding of the government decision-making process — a process that must be well-defined, open and accountable. These are at the heart of how citizens evaluate the job their public officials are doing. A transparent government facilitates the citizens’ understanding of the decision-making process. It also improves confidence in government and encourages meaningful citizen participation.
Calvert County has taken steps to improve transparency. With the help of county officials and staff (Commissioner Nutter and the county administrator, in particular), some of the recommendations of the 2014 League of Women Voters study Transparency in Governance have been adopted. The county recently committed to improve public access to information through the county website and other communication conduits.
Improving transparency requires continuous, ongoing efforts to promote openness in government. Learn more about recent changes in Maryland transparency laws and the tools available to foster transparency at the League forum, Transparency in Government: The Open Meetings Act and The Public Information Act, Thursday, October 26, 7pm at Calvert Pines in Prince Frederick.