Editorial alleges Bay Area Rapid Transit violating open meeting law with subcommittes

A Contra Costa Times editorial alleges that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is violating the Brown Act, California’s open meeting law, by establishing 20 subcommittees that meet behind closed doors. BART claims they are only advisory committees, but the editorial argues that even so they violate the spirit and letter of the law.

The editorial notes the importance of discussions in the subcommittees, “…why should the Finance, Budget and Internal Audit Committee operate behind closed doors? That’s taxpayer and rider money committee members are supposedly talking about. Nothing discussed there should be secret. Nothing.” -db

From an editorial in the Contra Costa Times, May 25, 2011.

Full editorial