The Mississippi Supreme Court unanimously affirmed that a local government may not evade state open meeting laws by holding a meeting with fewer than a quorum. The dispute stemmed from a 2014 incident during which the Columbus city council set up meetings with three council members and the mayor to discuss maintenance of public buildings and an agreement with an economic development agency. (Gulfport Sun Herald, September 7, 2017, by Jeff Amy of the Associated Press)
An editorial in The Daily Leader of Brookhaven MS, September 8, 2017, quoted the court in their finding that the meetings were evasive, “The gatherings were for the express goal of discussing city business. Further, the facts support that city business was conducted and policy formulated at the gatherings.” The Daily Leader hailed the decision as an important marker for open government: “When board members of any public body purposely meet in small numbers to avoid a quorum — just so they can claim that the meeting isn’t public — it is a disservice to the taxpaying public. The Mississippi Municipal League should know better, as should government officials everywhere.”