Wrong: " Yes. The meeting should be open, since it effects my schools and taxes." Right: Yes. Meeting should be open because it AFFECTS my schools and taxes.

Then, it has an EFFECT on my taxes ...

Hey Jack - thanks so much for the message - we've made the correction. That was a late-night mistake on my part, and I appreciate your insight.

Hopefully you voted in the poll!

Jason, yes, I did vote. And thanks for acknowledging my OC* to right every typo. Seems to have a life of its own! Appreciate your work, and that of your colleagues.

*OC Obsessive Compulsion

Jack - I'm a former copy editor, so that affect/effect mistake bothers me more than you can imagine :)

Thanks again for your participation!

Too many meetings have been behind closed doors. It's time the mayors listened to the public and the public had a chance to listen to the mayors.

Though I agree in general that meetings should be open to the public, it seems to be that having the Patch do a poll on this is only generating feelings of mistrust and that "something must be being covered up" and getting residents all riled up again and against one another. Can't we all take a step back and see that we ARE moving forward in this whole process, finally; that the mayors are having ONE meeting to hammer things out, get to know one another, that sort of thing, THEN it states that the meetings WILL of course be open to the public. Let's give 'em a break, as they say, and let some of this process unfold without constantly focusing on "open" and "who is trying to hide something" for once - THEN, maybe we WILL be able to move forward to an equitable solution, finally...
To Patch editors: I feel you are stirring the fire by asking for a poll on this and making it an "issue" when there really is none. I'm heartened by the progress - let's give it a chance folks.

Linda,

In your opinion this is not an issue.

I can certainly understand your position that this is one meeting and let them get to know one another, etc.

However, there are many who believe that since they have been meeting behind closed doors for eight months, and since many of the invited members of the board have been to the DOE presentation, that the process you described is needless, so that this is an issue.

You said in your post the next meeting will "of course" be open to the public. Well, this meeting was supposed to be open to the public and then that decision was reversed.

So while I applaud your faith and sure belief of what is happening and what the next steps are, there are many Jason and I hear from who are unsure. So I think until the process is transparent, they won't be able to shake their feelings of mistrust.

While this may not be an issue for you, it is for many. Hence the poll.

As always, we appreciate the comments and the feedback. Keeps us honest.

The Patch is doing its job. They are not stirring a fire. The majority is voting for an open meeting. If the Mayors need to get to know each other, they should have dinner together. If they have nothing to hide, then there is no reason not to invite their largest group of stakeholders.