Transparency lacking

A lack of transparency in Aurora city government led to an ugly, emotional public hearing this week which should be heard as a call to action for city leaders to change the way they go about their business.
Thursday’s 90-minute “pink postcard” public hearing on the city’s proposed 38 percent property tax increase was uncomfortable for everyone in the room and completely out of sync with the pride and general sense of unity shared throughout this community. Several citizens began by saying how much they enjoy living in Aurora, though they are struggling with the cost of living in today’s economy and simply do not understand why the city is asking for such a drastic increase or how the additional $750,000 will be spent.
That’s completely understandable, and yet City Administrator Rick Melcher and Mayor Marlin Seeman were not prepared to provide such detail. John Q Citizen spoke louder and with more emotion than at any city meeting in years, using words like “embarrassing,” “cowardly,” “unacceptable,” with one woman saying “Don’t come to a damn meeting with your pants down.”
Let there be no question that the tone of this hearing didn’t reflect just a concern about city finances, but also a lack of trust in city leadership, all because of the city’s unwillingness to share information. Unfortunately, this is not the first time city leaders have been reluctant to provide what should be basic financial information and rationale, and in fact it reflects a disturbing pattern.
Having covered the Aurora City Council for several years now, I have struggled to report city action with any kind of depth or detail because of lack of information provided during the twice-monthly meetings, many of which last less than 15 minutes. The agenda introduces the topics in vague detail, there is typically little or no discussion in open session and the votes are ALWAYS unanimous. That suggests, or at the very least raises the question of possibility, that decisions have already been made in committee meetings, which are not open to the public.
Several comments were made during last week’s hearing on topics which would have been ripe for city transparency in open session. For example, how, specifically, would proposed sales tax revenues have been spent, not just a broad outline listing five categories for city spending? Should the city be a partner in economic development projects, and how, exactly, will taxpayers get that money back? I’ve also heard local residents asking why the city is beginning work now on a multimillion dollar 1st Street renovation project, having provided little specific detail as to why that quite suddenly became a top priority.
If city leaders were not aware of the public’s demand for information, they most certainly are now!
Running for public office is often a thankless job and this community appreciates those who take the time and make the effort to serve. However, that trusting public expects elected representatives to share what they are thinking and doing on the taxpayers’ behalf, and as shown during last week’s public hearing will not tolerate a blatant lack of transparency. 
There needs to be a more genuine, consistent effort to share information with the community, a topic which in and of itself should now be one of the city’s top priorities.
-- Kurt Johnson