Two of the three applicants to fill a vacant Weber County Commission seat were interviewed privately in a move criticized by a media attorney and a lawmaker.
Commissioners Bruce Anderson and Joe Ritchie took turns interviewing the candidates Tuesday in their offices. They said because the interviews were in separate rooms, the meetings did not have to be open to the public.Both commissioners said they wanted to get more honest answers out of applicants Glen Burton and Gary Jaggi. The third applicant, Duncan Murray, will be interviewed Thursday.
"If you and I were doing an interview, and it was in public, you would probably be stifled in your answers, and I probably would be stifled in my questions," Ritchie said. "It's not an attempt to circumvent anything."
But Jeff Hunt, a Salt Lake City attorney who represents the Society of Professional Journalists, said while the commissioners's decision wasn't illegal, they pulled an end run around the law.
"It's clear from the language of the open meetings act that the Legislature wanted candidates who are filling an elected position to be interviewed in a public setting," Hunt said. "It promotes accountability. It informs the public regarding the qualifications of these individuals. The commissioners' actions clearly circumvent that purpose."
Rep. Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, helped craft the open meetings law and said he was disappointed in the commissioners' decision.
"I never like to criticize a fellow elected official, but I think even though sometimes it is inconvenient to do business in public, it is in the best interests of the public to do that," he said.
Ritchie said the interviews will help determine the replacement for Spencer Stokes, who resigned his seat last month to become executive director of the state's Republican Party.
Both Burton and Jaggi said it did not matter to them if the interviews were public or private.