Our Viewpoint: Take discussion further

I attended a forum last Tuesday called "Sanders County Talks". The forum, on flyers posted throughout town, was billed as "an engaging community event where facts meet discussion."

In attendance were more than 90 community members in person and another couple dozen via Zoom. Presenters talked about their issues with local government. One presenter gave information about how a budget works and what information should be included with a budget or financial report.

I attend nearly every city council meeting and many of the meetings with the Sanders County Commissioners. Part of my job is to keep people informed.

While I agree with the foundation of the Sanders County Talks discussion and I wholeheartedly believe that people need to communicate better (and not just at community meetings but in everyday life), a key piece missing from last week's event at the Rex Theater was transparency. Presenters were doing their best to inform people about their issues with local government, but it was not clear who was sponsoring the discussion. I talked to one of the presenters prior to Tuesday and asked her who was putting on the Sanders County Talks forum. Her reply was "a group of concerned citizens." The flyer advertising the event included a generic Gmail address but no information about who was to speak or who was paying for the event. I left the theater still not understanding who had sponsored the forum.

Another piece missing from Tuesday's forum was input from the decision makers. While some presenters showed emails from city officials, no city council members, nor the mayor or county commissioners, were there to address any of the concerns or questions. It was not clear whether they had been invited.

One presenter, when trying to explain information about non-partisan and partisan elections, gave incorrect information about what is currently required on ballots in Sanders County. I appreciated Sen. Greg Hinkle taking the time to correct what was presented as facts.

There were complaints about growth and too many gas stations. However, there were conflicting concerns about private property rights.

Again, I think it's fantastic that "a group of concerned citizens" provided an opportunity for community members to hear concerns and ask questions, but it would have been better to present more than one side of the information and engage in productive discussion that would lead to solutions.

What did you think of the forum? Send a letter to the editor to [email protected]. — Annie Wooden