Despite the fact there has been an communications revelation, many local governments still hold meetings the same way they did in the 1700's. The elected body sits in a chamber in a building; at the time and day of their choosing, and the public sits in a gallery. Anyone who wants to participate in the meeting has to do so in person.
There are many reasons why meetings are still held this way.
- "This is the way it's always been done". Inertia can be a powerful creativity killer. Plus change is hard, unless there is a big push to change, things typically just stay the same. For many local governments, changing the way business is done is simply not a priority.
- Not enabled by statute. This is a problem in Dillon Rule States. In these cases, the State government has enacted laws that spell out how meetings are to be held. There have been some positive changes by legislatures recently. For instance, in Virginia, elected and appointed local government officials can attend meetings remotely in some instances.
- Control. Perhaps the most cynical reason is making people show up (especially the "right people") gives the government body a lot of power to act or not act (aka political cover).
- Fear. Another powerful motivation by governing bodies. There is a fear of not being re-elected or being put under increased scrutiny. There is also the fear of failure. For some politicians, they have a vested interest in keeping the status quo.
- Lack of knowledge. In many instances people just may not know what is available, especially with the fast pace of technology development.
- Cost. Closely associated with #5, there is often a preconceived notion that using modern technology is expensive. It is certainly possible to spend a lot of money on state of a state of the art system. However, there are many free or low cost options as well.
Picture Credits:
Mr. Housch.com
www.abcnews4.com
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