THE ELECTION IS COMING! THE ELECTION IS COMING!

Are you ready to cast your vote on November 6, 2012? Here is a short list to get you ready.

 

Are you going away for vacation, school or business? Do you or someone you know serve in the Military? Does your work commute keep you on the road from sun up to

sun down? Are you disabled or have an illness that make waiting at the Polls more than you can bear? Are you a first responder with the Police, Fire Department or Rescue Squad? Maybe you're expecting a baby or just planning to work at the Polls on Election Day?

 

These are just a few of the reasons you may vote an Absentee Ballot at the Registrar's Office beginning September 21, 2012. Absentee voting will continue Monday through Friday from 8:30 until 4:30 until November 2. On the last two Saturdays before the Election, October 27 and November 3, the Registrar's Office will be open from 9 to 5.

 

Have you checked with Voter Registration to see that your address is correct? How about the old Post Office Box? Do you still have it, or not? We need to know so your new Voter Card, mandated by the Governor, can get to you by the end of September.

Are you registered to vote? If not, you have until October 15, 2012 at 5 o'clock. Can't get to the Registrar's Office to pick up a form? Then download one. Google: VA Voter Registration Application. Complete it and mail to PO Box 1561, Tappahannock, VA 22560 for Essex County. If you are in a nearby County, the mailing address for your Registrar will be listed with the form download.

 

Have you heard the rumors about what you will need at the Polls? Never fear! That information will be coming to you on TV, in the Newspapers and from my office. If you still have questions, call me at 804-443-4611 in Essex or look in the telephone book under the name of your County and go down to Voter Registration. The Virginia State Board of Elections in Richmond will also answer your questions. Call them at 1-800­552-9745.

 

This is an exciting time of Year! Listen carefully! Ask questions! Choose wisely! Then come out on November 6, 2012 to cast your vote. The Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

 

Larnie M. Flannagan   443-4611

General Registrar

Essex County

 

ESO thanks our General Registrar for this essential information.  In our opinion effecient and effective government depends upon active and concerned citizens (the famous "Grass Roots" at elections).  It is the right of each elibible citizen to vote. 

 

Some of us believe that it is a patriotic obligation. owed to the service men and women who have sacrificed to create our nation and protect our right to vote, TO VOTE.  We hope that you share that belief.

 

If you are not registered you have until October 15 to register. 

If you are not certain you are registered, please call Ms. Flannagan before Octob 15. 

If you are registered, or as soon as you are, PLEASE make sure that you VOTE!  Voting is patriotic!

If you are not able to get to the polls on 6 November, PLEASE vote by absentee ballot as described above.

If you are able to go to the polls, PLEASE vote in person.

Lastly, please encourage all of those eligible in your family and among your friends to register and VOTE!

 

John R. Clickener

 

ESO relinquishes all copyright claim to the above posting and encourages the distribution of the text.

VIRGINIA WATCHDOG REPORTS ON ESO EFFORTS

17 August – Interview by reporter Katie Watson published in the Virginia Watchdog

 

VA: Essex County residents take government transparency into their own hands

By Kathryn Watson |  Virginia Watchdog  Summary:  The interview briefly examines the creation of EssexSunshine.Org and use of a website to provide public access to public information.  Brief mention is made of progress and the hope for the public to become more active. 

 

ALEXANDRIA - Essex officials won't be keeping any more secrets. Not if a small band of fired-up residents can help it.

 

They've started essexcountysunshine.org.

 

Together, the half dozen or so contributors ....

 

The full article is available at the following LINK   http://watchdog.org/50152/essex-county-citizens-take-government-transparency-into-their-own-hands/

Retired County Administrator Comments about Transparency

 

16 August – To ESO by e-mail

 

            Several years ago, Mathews County began an effort to provide more public information and to increase transparency for the benefit of the citizens.  At first, it was uncomfortable for county staff and officials.  Now we celebrate our annual A+ transparency rating from the Sunshine Review and actually enjoy preempting investigating reporters by posting all information online before they can even ask for it.  Online you can find our employee salaries, monthly accounts payable, and job postings.  It has freed staff up from constantly answering questions about the county government . . . we direct citizens to our website.

 

Steve Whiteway

Retired Mathews County Administrator

ESO IN THE NORTHERN NECK NEWS

 

14 August – Interview by Reporter Diane Saison published in the Northern Neck News.  Summary:  The interview examines the purpose of EssexSunshine.Org, it's goals, and the evaluation of the Government and School web sites openness and transparency by a national open government organization.  The interview explores the Virginia Open Meeting Act and the Freedom of Information Act and the some of the major areas which need improvement.  Also discussed is the importance of citizen involvement both in elections and in governance.

 

Watchdog website holds Essex County officials accountable

Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 4:59 pm

For years, watchdog agencies have rated Essex County poorly for their lack of sharing policy, procedural and public documents.

But in the past few months, a small band of concerned residents have joined together to break down political walls and shed light on their local government.

And together they are doing it in the most public way possible, through their new website essexsunshine.org. 

At the center of it all is one of the original founders and current publisher, John Clickener, who started putting the site together this spring with the help of like-minded citizens in hopes that local officials would be forced to face their deficiencies and enact change.

 

The full article is available at http://www.northernnecknews.com/?p=4427

THE ESSEX COUNTY CONTRACTS

 Much has been written about County Administrator's Contract with the Essex County Board of Supervisors as Letters to the Editor in the Rappahannock Times and in commentary on the Essex Tea Party website.  This EssexSunshine.Org (ESO) website has commented about the extension of the Superintendent of Essex Public Schools contract extension approval with over a year to go before the completion of the original contract (1).  Very few Essex County citizens have actually seen any of those contracts.

Contracts are required to be accessable to the public by Virginia Law.  One of the areas evaluated by Sunshine Review (2) in rating both County Government and School Board website is the accessibility of contracts.  Therefore, ESO requested copies of the contracts which are published at the following links:

County Administrator's Contract:  

          http://www.essexsunshine.org/pdflib/county-administrator-contract.pdf

Original Superintendent's Contract: 

            http://www.essexsunshine.org/pdflib/super-2010.pdf

Extension of Superintendent's Contract:
            http://www.essexsunshine.org/pdflib/super-2012.pdf

Please note that the documents are civil contracts NOT ordinances.  Claims have been made that the non-fulfillment of the portion of the County Administrators contract is ILLEGAL. ESO believes that the claim of "illegality" has been made either in error or as a deliberate misrepresentation of fact. 

An appropriate question would be whether the Board of Supervisors agreed to either amend or waive any aspect of the contract.  The County Administrator, was and is thru 30 September 2012, an at will employee subject to termination of employment at any time for any reason.  Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that the Board of Supervisors, by continuing to employ the County Administrator in effect waived or chose to not enforce a portion of the employment contract.

Also of public interest is the $6,000 salary increase granted to the Superintendent in conjunction with the contract extension.  It's ESO opinion that the 5% increase exceeds the salary increase approved for the teachers and staff. 

Footnote 1: http://essexsunshine.blogspot.com/2012/06/superintendents-contract-extension.html

Footnote 2: http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Essex_County,_Virginia

John R. Clickener