Government oversight forum Thursday

Open government advocates say with fears of more economic hardships on the horizon across the country, citizens must be able to oversee the actions of government.

“In these times, the need for transparency is great,” said Tim Ford, open government ombudsman for the state attorney general’s office. “It’s imperative that our public officials act in the best interests of the public. How are we going to know that if we don’t have transparency?”

Local government leaders and media representatives on Thursday will discuss the public’s right to attend government meetings and view government records at a forum sponsored by the Washington Coalition for Open Government and The Spokesman-Review.

“It is our government,” said Donna McKereghan, a former City Council candidate who organized the event. “So it is our responsibility to monitor our government.”

Besides Ford, panelists will include Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich; James Richman, a City of Spokane assistant city attorney; Carla Savalli, The Spokesman-Review’s assistant managing editor for local news; and Duane Swinton, an attorney specializing in media law who has represented The Spokesman-Review in many legal cases. The event will be moderated by Virginia Whitehouse, a Whitworth University associate communication studies professor.

Richman said he would use the forum to convey “that the city is doing everything it can to be responsive to its obligations under the public disclosure act.”

Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, said the group has sponsored similar forums across the state to increase the public’s awareness of the right to file requests for government records and to attend meetings.

“It’s an opportunity for people to ask questions,” said Nixon, a former state representative from Kirkland.