Departments



Articles

Less

Editorial: Editorial: Cedar Key News Annual Meeting March 29
March 8th, 2008

Editorial: Let School Board Know What Should Be Taught
February 15th, 2008

Editorial: What Is a Fair Tax?
February 4th, 2008

Editorial: Inconsistent Appraisals Harm Taxpayers
December 17th, 2007

Editorial: Energy Crisis?
November 30th, 2007

Editorial: Florida Water War Heat Up
October 16th, 2007

Editorial: Nobel Prizes in Medicine
October 5th, 2007

Editorial: Editorial: Same Rules for Everyone
September 22nd, 2007

Editorial: Demand Action on Bridge Repair
August 8th, 2007

Editorial: Local Response Needed to Stem Clam Poaching
July 24th, 2007

Editorial: Money, Money, Money...Votes
July 9th, 2007

Editorial: We Celebrate Independence and Clams
June 26th, 2007

Editorial: Are You Ready for Hurricane Season?
June 12th, 2007

Editorial: The Sources of Progress in Medicine
May 30th, 2007

Editorial: A New Era of Politics and Religion
May 17th, 2007

More

Take a Little Time!

Take a Little Time!

Robin McClary

An Editorial

I think that the fourth of July is the perfect time to contemplate the joyfulness of living in a city where we have complete access to the inner workings of our local government. Few people across the globe can pry into the actions of their government like we can. It is one of the rights recognized by the Florida State Constitution under Article I, Declaration of Rights. Section 24 of Article I, Access to public records and meetings, states that:

"Every person has the right to inspect or copy any public record made or received in connection with the official business of any public body, officer, or employee of the state, or persons acting on their behalf, except with respect to records exempted pursuant to this section or specifically made confidential by this Constitution. This section specifically includes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government and each agency or department created thereunder; counties, municipalities, and districts; and each constitutional officer, board, and commission, or entity created pursuant to law or this Constitution."

The Florida Constitution further states that "All meetings of any collegial public body of the executive branch of state government or of any collegial public body of a county, municipality, school district, or special district, at which official acts are to be taken or at which public business of such body is to be transacted or discussed, shall be open and noticed to the public and meetings of the legislature shall be open and noticed as provided in Article III, Section 4(e), except with respect to meetings exempted pursuant to this section or specifically closed by this Constitution."

None of this has any value unless we take the time to attend these meetings and express our opinions. While Cedar Key enjoys a municipal government that is very responsive to the comments of citizens, very few of us take the time to attend the city commission meetings. Waiting for an election to make your voice heard is not enough. Take an evening stroll downtown each 2nd and 4th Tuesday to attend the Cedar Key City Commission meetings at 7:00 P.M. And register to vote at the Levy County Voter registration in Bronson or at selected locations during the year. It's your city and its time to participate!

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com