BINGHAMTON, NY - Mark R. Whalen, Chair of the Broome County Legislature, announced today that the business of the County Legislature will soon be available on the world wide web. This is the third in a series of reforms instituted since the beginning of this year.

“Up until now, it has been relatively difficult to find out what business is before the Legislature and just as difficult to find out how individual Legislators voted,” said Whalen. “The public deserves to have access to this information, and they’re going to have that access.”

Whalen announced that the staff of the Legislature has been working with the County’s webmaster to post agendas of Legislative Sessions and Committee Meetings in advance of the meetings. They are also going to post meeting minutes, after they are approved, which will include the full text of every resolution as well as how the members voted.

“We are always accountable to the people who elected us to public office. There is nothing more public than how legislators vote at a public meeting,” said Whalen. “I’ve said from the beginning that making this body more accountable and accessible to the public is a top priority and these long awaited changes are a major step in that direction.”

In addition to the Legislative Business section on the website, the new Legislature has initiated two additional steps in opening County Government to residents.

The meeting times of committees and of the regular sessions have been changed to later in the day in order to allow residents ample time to attend. In the past, Committee sessions began at 3:00 PM. They will now begin no earlier than 4:00 PM. Regular legislative sessions, which previously began at 5:00PM, will now begin at 6:00 PM.

The other change that was announced earlier this month is a change to the Rules of Order, that enables people who have appeared before any special or standing committee and have requested privilege of the floor to be granted that privilege by the chair upon recommendation by a majority vote of the members of the committee before which said person testified. A person may also address the entire Legislature if they are sponsored by a Legislator and a majority of the full Legislature votes to allow that person to speak.

The inclusion of legislative business on the internet will coincide with the launching of a brand new County web site today, January 18th. You can find information about the Legislature at: /legis/business

For more information, contact the Chris Marion at 607.778.2129 or the Clerk of the Legislature at 607.778.2131.