Pay attention

As the election inches closer, transparency within governmental entities at all levels is more important than ever. Across the country, in papers big and small, there are stories of secrecy and corruption within municipalities of all sizes. 
In Wyoming, stories and editorials have been written covering issues of secret meetings and a lack of transparency in city and county governments including Gillette, Cheyenne and Cody. Here in Newcastle, the News Letter Journal has been less aggressive in its approach to addressing government transparency, but now we feel it is important to inform the community that this needs to change. 
These “secret meetings” that are held behind closed doors, with no proper notice to the public or the press as required by law, are an absolute abuse of power. Whether it is addressing an entire police department in Cheyenne, the supposed offensive Facebook posts liked by a city council member in Gillette, or to determine who would be the best fit to replace a retiring police chief in Newcastle, the public should be privy to not only the decisions being made but the reasoning for these decisions. 
When government officials go out of their way to make decisions in secrecy, you can be darn sure it is because they know that what is being done may not be what the citizens want, or would expect. 
You, the people of Newcastle, Upton, Osage or Weston County, have the ability and the right to provide the checks and balances of local government — the officials elected by you — to make sure that their decisions are not going unsupported or unanswered. This can be done by attending meetings, questioning when things seem wrong and by becoming an educated voter. 
When it comes to addressing these topics of transparency, the News Letter Journal can only do so much. It is up to you, the citizens and the voters, to demand and assure that elected officials in our communities continue to work for you and not against you.
We encourage all of you to attend meetings when you can, ask the important questions, and assure that you get the answers you deserve. In this electronic age, reaching out to your officials is easier than ever — and of course there’s always the good ‘ol telephone.
Government and elected officials are chosen by you, and it is their job is to do everything possible to assure that they are doing right by you, the citizens, and you should hold them accountable for their actions at the ballot box as well.