Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Editorial: In public-private deals, remember the public
Bedford County school officials should be more forthcoming with information for taxpayers.
From the RoundTable blog
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School officials have decided to go along with two contractors who asked members not to divulge the costs for building two schools. By agreeing to shield the costs from taxpayers until the school board signs a contract, Bedford officials are putting the interests of private firms above public scrutiny. The public deserves greater accountability.
The situation in Bedford County illustrates a broader concern about what and when the public is entitled to learn about proposals negotiated under public-private partnerships in Virginia.
Private firms can ask governing bodies with which they are partnering for extensive privacy. That doesn't mean, however, that the localities should agree to it.
With state and local governments struggling under financial constraints, public-private arrangements are becoming increasingly popular with transportation and school projects.
If properly executed, they encourage innovation by allowing the private sector to approach governing bodies with creative ideas to address a public need.
But the public, which picks up the tab, should not be brought into the process as an afterthought.
Apparently, the Bedford School Board members need to be reminded that they serve as trustees of the public interest, not mere providers of aid and comfort to private businesses.
Members of the Bedford County Board of Supervisors, which levies taxes in the county and holds the purse strings for education spending, are justifiably frustrated by the secrecy shrouding the school projects.
Chairman Bobby Pollard noted that residents have "got to know what they're paying for."
With the growing prevalence of public-private partnerships, state leaders should revisit legislation and clarify it to improve public access to information regarding projects being built for Virginians' benefit, and with their tax support.
