Craig Press: What appeared to be a simple decision to hold a secret ballot vote to appoint a new city councilor at the Dec. 11 meeting instead turned into a Colorado Open Meetings Law violation, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition says.

According to CFOIC Executive Director Jeffery Roberts, Colorado Open Meetings Law prohibits local and state public bodies from using secret ballots to adopt any policy, position or regulation or to take formal action.

“The appointment of someone to fill a council vacancy is the adoption of a position and a formal action, and those council votes should have been announced to the public during the meeting at which the vote was taken,” Roberts said.

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