Sep 21, 2023 2 min read

County should be transparent with 911 records

Transparency can be defined as the government’s obligation to share information with citizens they need to make informed decisions and hold officials accountable.

Washington County commissioners Diana Irey Vaughan and Larry Maggi are operating under cover of darkness with the open records request by North Strabane manager Andrew Walz regarding the purchase of a new county 911 radio system. This follows a pattern of obstruction I have heard from citizens seeking even the most basic public information from the county.

Earlier this year, Commissioner Nick Sherman sided with emergency and municipal officials throughout the county on which company to award a $22 million 911 radio system contract. Emergency officials have passionately spoken out against the project awarded to the same firm, MRA, that built and operated the current system. In its place, they preferred another bid by Motorola, utilized throughout most counties in the state.

Releasing the requested documents would cast light on such things as studies detailing the radio coverage in the county and requests for proposals. These essential documents would help explain the county’s decision to award a contract for a new 911 system and provide central details about the project.

I’m a strong believer in transparency in government. I have worked in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a chief of staff and have seen working examples of transparency and the need for further changes on the state level. In Washington County, it is essential to change how it handles its right-to-know requests and to become a more open and transparent government.

Electra Janis

Peters

Janis is a candidate for

Washington County commissioner.