The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

February 11, 2009

Some aren’t welcome at political meeting

By Monica Pryts

GREENVILLE — Greenville Mayor Richard H. Miller and borough Councilman Brian Shipley are banning certain people from an informational meeting they’re hosting for people interested in running for office in the May 19 primary.

The meeting geared for potential candidates from northwestern Mercer County is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Greenville Moose Family Center, 32 Shenango St.

Those not welcome at the meeting include: anyone who’s just curious; members of the media; anyone looking for a place to spend the evening; critics of local office holders; and anyone who has no plans to run in this year’s election, Miller said.

Keeping those people out of the meeting will make for a more productive discussion and make serious candidates less hesitant to comment and ask questions, Miller said.

Miller and Shipley are not violating the state Sunshine Act, said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel with the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. The meeting isn’t being conducted by any public agency or being held at a public place.

The Sunshine Act requires public agencies to hold certain meetings open to the public.

Miller and Shipley are entitled to keep certain people out of the meeting, but that doesn’t serve everyone’s best interests, Ms. Melewsky said Wednesday.

If the pair are truly interested in getting the word out to as many people as possible, the meeting should be open to the public and covered by the media, she said.

Working with the public and media is a big part of elected officials’ jobs and excluding certain people from the meeting is a false impression of what it’s like to serve in an elected position, she said.

“There needs to be a solid relationship with the media,” Ms. Melewsky said.

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