Utah Taxpayer To Discuss Property Taxes

Utah Taxpayer has teased us with a discussion on "Truth in Taxation", and whether we need a Proposition 13 in Utah.

I look forward to the next two weeks.

"Being Painted Strange"

An interview with Steve Urquhart has been posted on The Blau Exchange. One thing that Urquhart knows, despite how he has been 'painted' by opponents, is how to employ technology to make the legislative process more transparent to all.

Hat tip: Steve Urquhart

Davis School District| Never Ending Protests

Walk with me over the time line of events we've witnessed in regards to the Davis School District boundary debacle.

November

Lawsuit leveled by a group of Bountiful parents comes to a head as the District abandons its boundary plans and goes with a consultant.

January

A plan is presented, not much different from the first, that leads to 600 letters from critics. Groups that are publicly opposed to the plan hark from Syracuse, Layton, and Cherry Lane. The Bountiful Parents remain critical.

Things do not look good for the District. If the numerous protests are simply ignored as the board votes in the proposed boundaries, will we have another lawsuit? If the board accepts the criticisms that have been voiced, will we go back to the drawing board again?

This is why this boundary dispute is all the rage.

Davis School Boundary dispute--Riding the Wave

Syracuse Commmunity Matters has only been around a short while, and urges its community to oppose the current proposal for the Davis School District boundaries. The boundary dispute seems to be all that it discusses.

I keep saying that this boundary dispute has created a lot of buzz. Evidence of which can be found at a site that seems only to scrape content that is likely to get the highest advertising revenue. I won't provide a link (I don't want to feed the beast), but you can find it at (http://datinghot.info/?p=2737). This site decided the boundary issue was 'hot' enough to post a link to the story on KSL.

Also, this video of the tail end of the School District's, January 2nd Meeting tells us that the District has asked the Consultant to look at the safety concerns expressed by critics. What of those concerns? The YouTube user, DavisVIG, has only posted videos of the school district boundary meeting.

Utah to file suit over Jordan's closed meetings

The Attorney's General office is now taking the Jordan School District to court over Open Meetings violations. The irony here is that when Davis County got in trouble over their violations, Jordan District was touted as the ideal district in that regard.

Utah to file suit over Jordan's closed meetings

Davis School Board| Consultant vs Parents

There were a storm of visitors to my blog this morning, and I wonder how much of that phenomenon is post holiday activity? Some of it could be a reflection of my recent posts on the school boundary dispute. There is an event tonight that could change the tide for the district.

I'm not a journalist--I don't even consider myself to be of the citizen newsie variety. But, I think others check my blog as a kind of acid test on how they are doing. People google themselves and end up reading something of mine.

It's weird acting as a mirror for politico-narcissists.

Tonight one individual, representing the interests of the School Board, will pull back a curtain shedding a little light on an otherwise mundane boundary proposal.

It should have been dull except that it has been secret.

It's ironic that a lawsuit aimed at exposing a secret should do so much to create another secret. Perhaps that says something about the motive of the Davis County School Board. A group of people who would prefer an irony to a mundane proposal.

Comments will be accept by email, or snail mail. No other public hearing will be held. No public comments will be aired.

Transparency does render all things uninteresting.

The Davis School District has made this interesting. Now they can come here and look in the mirror.

Lessons learned from the School District

I visited with Superintendent Bryan Bowles of the Davis County School District on Tuesday, and I walked away with a couple of impressions.

First the facts.

The School board said that the Davis Parents Association lawsuit would have a chilling effect on transparency. (Note: we did not discuss the boundary dispute on Tuesday, but spent our time on the indictment of the Rosses and subsequent auditing measures)

Bowles told me that the two Davis employee's were indicted the same day that he, and the press, heard about the indictment. He did not, at the press conference, offer any hint to the press that the district had taken steps to prevent future fraud two years earlier.

I was assured on Tuesday that a list of security measures taken would be prepared on Wednesday morning.

Now onto the principle.

Transparency isn't just about having press conferences, open meetings, and involving parents in decisions. Transparency is about pro actively addressing obvious concerns to the public.

Obvious concerns like the citizens trusting the School District with the next 4 million.

Concerns about whether this consultant, who is part of the 'old boys network', will provide a better solution than the solution prompting a lawsuit.

Bowles should be commended for visiting with the Legislature, and others who are interested in the Districts well-being( i.e. myself and others). However, the Superintendent should have handed the press a timely notice of changes that had been implemented since they discovered a problem.

That has yet to happen.

[Davis County Watch: Citizenship] Davis School District takes off the gloves.

Davis School District officials now contend that a ruling against them in an up-coming lawsuit could lead to even less transparency. Let me say that again. School district officials are arguing that the District will have to become more secretive if they don't get their way.

Fear, uncertainty, doubt?

Other school districts in Utah, including Jordan, have almost every meeting open to the public.

It looks like the coalition of parents bringing this lawsuit deserve a win.

School official: Ruling against Davis' closed door may stifle; others say no

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Posted by Tyler Farrer to Davis County Watch: Citizenship at 11/20/2006 04:48:00 PM

[Davis County Watch: Citizenship] Davis Parents sue School Board

A group of Davis Parents have sued the County School board for convening six closed door meetings surrounding a proposed boundary change. The board says the meetings were not of a 'public body', and so can be closed.

This lawsuit should clarify whether a 'special committee' is considered a 'public body', or not.

Davis Parents sue District

Update: A judge has issued a restraining order to prevent the boundary change from occurring. The court will reconvene in December.

My thoughts: The School District needs to settle out of court-take whatever hit is required, and move on. This could have, rather should have, been handled without a lawsuit.

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Posted by Tyler Farrer to Davis County Watch: Citizenship at 11/15/2006 02:38:00 PM