Our View: Boards need to be vigilant

Government entities need to be more vigilant in ensuring their discussions occur in public.

A recent example of how easy it can be to slip can be seen with Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s Board of Trustees. The board, with the exception of Richard Mathey, and the hospital’s CEO discussed pulling hospital funds from Bank of the West in emails sent amongst members of the board in late September. The board ultimately made a decision in October to withdraw those funds from the bank, with board chairman Mathey claiming the board broke the state’s open meetings act leading up to that vote....