Horicon (NY) officials close door on open-government advocate's Town Hall visit

from PostStar.com:

The Horicon Town Board held what appeared to be an illegal meeting Wednesday to ban an event from Town Hall that was to feature the state's expert on the Freedom of Information and open meetings laws.

The "emergency" meeting was held by the board to rescind permission for local residents to host Robert Freeman, executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, for an open government discussion at Town Hall on Feb. 9.

The event has instead been moved to the Horicon fire station and will be held on the same date.

The controversy does not focus on Freeman, but rather on June Maxam, a Chester resident who helped organize the event. Maxam is publisher of the North Country Gazette, a website that is frequently critical of local government.

[...]

Freeman seemed taken aback Thursday at the developments, saying, "So what, who cares?" when told that Maxam's involvement was what prompted the Town Board to taken action.

Read the rest here.

Landowners, not registered voters, control Ave Maria

The Naples Daily News spent a year reporting "A Town Without A Vote," a records-driven series on Ave Maria's government. In June 2004, a law was passed that gives the authority in Ave Maria to landowners, not registered voters. This ensures that Monaghan and Barron Collier Cos., the largest landowners, forever control the town government. Six similar governments, which might not protect citizens' constitutional right to select their leaders, have popped up across the state.

More here.