City Leadership Ignores Request to Clarify Specifics of Ballot Measure L
Berkeley's Open Government policy states that residents are entitled to understand the actions of city government.
Democracy … requires that the public have an opportunity to understand the government’s activities … the purpose of this ordinance is … to ensure that the public has an adequate opportunity to be informed of the City’s activities and to communicate its concerns to its elected and appointed officials.
Open government requires openness from city officials. In the case of Berkeley’s $650 million mega bond (Ballot Measure L) such responsiveness is lacking. In a previous post, we identified language in Measure L that appears to give City Council a blank check in terms of bond money spending. We have repeatedly asked the City Attorney to clarify if the measure provides City Council with total discretion regarding the disbursement of funds.
Over two weeks have passed, and city officials have not responded. Our request was exceedingly narrow and focused, by design, to enable a timely response. Further, the section in question was extensively marked up, suggesting city officials are well aware of its implications. However, contrary to Berkeley’s Open Government policy, they have chosen not to respond.
Opponents assert Measure L suffers from a lack of planning and specifics. The vagaries of the ballot language supports these claims. Perhaps more disconcerting is that city officials, bound by an Open Government policy, appear unwilling to provide the public with an opportunity to understand their activities.
City Officials appeared to have labored in marking up language stating that there is no “guarantee" Measure L funds will be used for any particular purpose
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