The Town Center challenger wants all meetings open to the public, but the incumbent supports closed meetings under certain circumstances.
Audience members at the Tuesday candidate forum pressed newcomer Gail Broida, of the Lakeside Condominium complex, and incumbent Jud Malone, of Vantage Point Road, on whether the Columbia Association Board meetings should be open.
“A lot of issues that have been under wraps should be reported. … After all, it?s our money. We have a right to know how it?s being allocated, and if we approve,” Broida said.
“It?s not true we have secret meetings. We have responsibilities as a governing board … Things like legal matters and contract matters require confidentiality,” Malone said
The association?s board cannot fully investigate complex issues at the bimonthly open board meetings, he said.
He voted March 9 for a mix of open and closed meetings for the downtown partnership of association president Maggie Brown, Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning and General Growth Properties.
However, the measure did not pass, because the vote was a tie.
The association?s board does not discuss funding or budget issues behind closed doors, said Malone.
Of the board?s four closed meetings in February, two were business-related “for consideration of the terms of conditions of a business transaction, in the negotiation stage,” according to the January association?s Board of Directors meeting minutes.
