how to get information?

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? West Virginia

We are dealing with a county Fair Board, that is a closed group. They have set up this Board by self appointment of their own select group. Their by-laws are in direct conflict with their stated purposes. We have been over a year just getting a set of by-laws from this group-- that's how controlling and secretive they wish to operate. They have Board members with direct conflict of interests. Public input and participation is not wanted. New Board members can only be 'invited' by those already on the Board. There are no public elections for the Board members. Public participation at these meetings is discouraged and those that do attend are treated rudely and ignored. We know this group gets state grant money. But we are refused any records of how these funds are being spent. Any ideas on how to get this Fair Board more public based and oriented, and how to get financial information that should be public record?

madbooster said:

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? West Virginia

We are dealing with a county Fair Board, that is a closed group. They have set up this Board by self appointment of their own select group. Their by-laws are in direct conflict with their stated purposes. We have been over a year just getting a set of by-laws from this group-- that's how controlling and secretive they wish to operate. They have Board members with direct conflict of interests. Public input and participation is not wanted. New Board members can only be 'invited' by those already on the Board. There are no public elections for the Board members. Public participation at these meetings is discouraged and those that do attend are treated rudely and ignored. We know this group gets state grant money. But we are refused any records of how these funds are being spent. Any ideas on how to get this Fair Board more public based and oriented, and how to get financial information that should be public record?

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Google

west virginia open records meeting sunshine law

My state is West Virginia.

OK the Sunshine Law will provide an opening for public attendence at meetings, although we might end up discussing a lawsuit if they refuse to allow 'outside' people to attend the meeting(s). May even be a lawsuit discussion to obtain financial information. Any possible way to get the Fair Board opened up, so appointments/elections are on a public county-wide basis, and not solely by the self established Fair Board to pick? We have a suggestion to try and get the grant money funding stopped until the by-laws are re-written to include public elections/appointments, so that the by-laws themselves are not in direct conflict with the purpose of the organization. A public election would go far to remove the gross amount of personal conflict that is now on the self-appointed Board.

madbooster

madbooster said:

My state is West Virginia.

OK the Sunshine Law will provide an opening for public attendence at meetings, although we might end up discussing a lawsuit if they refuse to allow 'outside' people to attend the meeting(s). May even be a lawsuit discussion to obtain financial information. Any possible way to get the Fair Board opened up, so appointments/elections are on a public county-wide basis, and not solely by the self established Fair Board to pick? We have a suggestion to try and get the grant money funding stopped until the by-laws are re-written to include public elections/appointments, so that the by-laws themselves are not in direct conflict with the purpose of the organization. A public election would go far to remove the gross amount of personal conflict that is now on the self-appointed Board.

madbooster

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Run for the board. Political power is great.

Fair Board

West Virginia

There is NO "run for the Board" policy with this Fair Board. There are NO public elections. Prospective members MUST be invited by an established (already self appointed) Fair Board member, and then MUST be approved by a majority of the Fair Board. These Fair Board members have made it plain they do not want anyone else on the Board (i.e. their own close knit group as they have stated). Anyone who questions them, asks for by-laws, information, or such is considered a 'troublemaker' and is instantly removed from any consideration to be on the Board.

Right now we are approaching an interesting situation, in that 2 members of the 'self-selected' Fair Board (representatives/Presidents of associations that have an interest and activity in the Fair) have been replaced in open/public elections of their own organizations. As these two Fair Board members are there on the basis that they are the President of an organization, we are waiting to see if the Fair Board allows the new Presidents to replaced the voted-out ones, and become members of the Fair Board, OR if the Fair Board will refuse to recognize the new orgnizational officers and not allow them on the Board, and keep the old 'friends' (who no longer rightfully represent those organizations) on the Board to maintain their control cliche.

Madbooster