Marc Nelson Jr.

113 Decatur Street

Cumberland, MD 21502
240-727-6804
marcnelsonjr@gmail.com

February 24, 2011

Allegany County Board of Commissioners

701 Kelly Road
Cumberland, MD 21502

Commissioners:

I come before you today to plead for a change in the way county government communicates with
the public. I’m sure you would agree that open government and transparency are among the
paramount values of our democracy. However, they are more than just an abstraction; they also
provide tangible benefits.

It is my firm belief that an open and transparent decision-making process produces better
outcomes. The reverse was certainly proven true by the previous commissioners. Time and time
again, policies were formulated without adequate public knowledge and input, resulting in discord
and division.

You have already taken some steps to make county government more accessible, and I applaud
those steps. But more work remains to be done. The recent controversy over school
consolidation illustrates the pitfalls of formulating policy without public participation. The public
must not only be informed, but welcomed as a partner in governance.

Unfortunately, active citizens have too often been treated as interlopers and irritants by Allegany
County government. Rather than being guided by a spirit of openness, elected officials and staff
have erected a barrier of procedure and paperwork to keep the public away from the processes of
its government. Last year’s election results show that the citizens of Allegany County are ready
for change.

To that end, I propose that the commissioners appoint a committee on open government and
transparency. The committee should be charged with identifying weaknesses in the county’s
current approach, formulating solutions to those problems, and making organizational and
legislative recommendations back to the commissioners.

The committee should also be independent enough that it is empowered to undertake an honest
and unabashed evaluation of current practices. And, of course, it should be open to the public –
both in the physical sense and open to input and ideas as well.

I thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Marc Nelson Jr.