Transparency and Accountability - Sep. 30, 2022 Windham Independent

Transparency and accountability

NH Constitution, Article 8 [Accountability of Magistrates and Officers; Public’s Right to Know]: “All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them.  Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive.  To that end, the public’s right of access to governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted.”

I am quoting our state constitution above, but transparency and accountability are basic expectations of any government that understands they are serving the people, rather than ruling over them. Government employees work for us all, and we need to know what they are doing so we can hold them accountable - there cannot be accountability if transparency is lacking.

During my school board service, we made it easier for parents and residents to obtain information about how the schools were run. Every public information request was fulfilled quickly and completely. We explained the reasoning behind our votes, and engaged with the residents providing public input, so that everyone could understand our values and principles - transparency starts from the top, and if board members do not practice transparency themselves, it is hard to ask that of school district employees.

While serving as the Town Finance Director, we published quarterly and yearly financial reports that included every account of the town and a detailed analysis of the financial activity. My door was open for any resident that walked in the Bartley building and asked about financial information. No matter what the question was, everyone got immediate access to all the information that was publicly available - they would just sit with me behind my desk while we went through the records, support files, etc. As a result, everyone left my office with all the information they were looking for, gaining more trust in the town government in the process.

The last thing a government should do is vigorously defend themselves against public information requests. Delays in releasing information the public wants to know creates the appearance of a cover up… and we all know cover ups are often worse than the mistake they were designed to hide. Sooner or later, that information makes its way to the public - it is better to have a culture of transparency and openness that immediately provides access to what happened, so residents can have trust in their elected officials and government employees.

New Hampshire made a lot of progress towards transparency and accountability, but we still have room for improvement. If elected, I will push for more transparency and accountability for all levels of government - we have every right to know what our government is doing, so we can hold them accountable.

You can always reach me at (603) 267 4142 or at dpmwindham@gmail.com. I am grateful for your support, and will keep working hard to earn your vote on November 8.

Daniel Popovici-Muller

Republican Candidate for State Representative