Re-Implement Virtual Rusk County Board/Committee Meetings

Rusk County, with no prior warning, has decided to eliminate all virtual access to it's meetings; both at the committee or full board level.

It is 2022, and virtual access should be considered an essential service to allow all people access to the process of running the local government and all decisions that are made.

This petition does not try to put one form of virtual access over any other. Nor does it need to be a free or paid service. There are many options out there.

Virtual access should be considered essential because transparency in government is essential to have it run effectively. Transparency doesn't only come by allowing people to attend meetings in person. Rusk County has a high population of aging individuals who can't always trek out in winter or other inclement weather. Some individuals are still facing Covid challenges due to other health problems that make in-person meetings dangerous. Others face issues of work or family obligations interfering with meeting times. Waiting until meeting minutes are posted, often doesn't allow enough time to know when the next meeting to attend is, to stay with the issue (like something being sent to the full board after being approved at Finance) until it is too late. Meeting minutes also are often lacking enough information to actually know what was discussed and to understand the true feelings of the committee or board.

By reinstating some form of vitual access, people have the ability to participate in local government. Public comment can be made over this access.

In 2022, Rusk County should feel obligated to make their meetings accessible to even more people. Rusk County should want more people involved in the process, not less.

By signing this petition, you will be saying that you want Rusk County to re-implement an virtual meeting option for all committee and full board meetings.