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December 9, 2024

Email indicates illegal Atlanta Public Library Board meetings –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On March 12, 2019

ATLANTA, IL. (ECWd) –

A critic of the Atlanta Public Library Board has, in the past, opined on alleged “linger-longer” meetings of the library board held after its public meetings.

The board had consistently denied participating in any such meetings.

However, an FOIA request for certain emails has revealed that they did participate in “linger-longer” meetings as if it were a routine matter of policy to better inform the board of events that they wanted to keep secret from the public.

According to the email, they wanted to be “really vague” during the public meeting with the understanding that “more a detailed report will follow the meeting in linger longer.

The email also states that the library director didn’t mind sharing financial information to the board, she just didn’t want it shared at a public meeting.

If that is not an admission of planning illegal meetings after the public meeting I don’t know what is.

This board, and in particular, Bill Thomas and his daughter, conspired to tell the public as little as possible.

So much for their “transparency” to the public.

They probably think the Open Meetings Act is just an insignificant law, like the ones covering Statements of Economic Interest, sales tax, grants,  prohibited activities, consumption of alcohol on public property, and election law – and they fell empowered to simply ignore them because no one will hold them accountable.

You can view the e-mails below or download at this link.

Linger-Longer email

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5 Comments
  • Larry J. Brandt
    Posted at 15:56h, 13 March

    many, many ATLANTA folks knew and still know of these goings on and amazingly still condone it.

  • Roger
    Posted at 12:55h, 13 March

    At least with the library funded alcohol purchases and consumption in the “linger longer” sessions they have the excuse they didn’t know what they were doing so they should be held unaccountable.

  • ricklynch3269
    Posted at 19:31h, 12 March

    “WELL” THERE IT IS, IN BLACK AND WHITE, BILL THOMAS, DID NOT WANT A ISSUE OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION REVEALED TO THE PUBLIC.
    WHY ?,
    IF SOMEONE HIDES OR FAILS TO DISCLOSE THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, HOW CAN THE PUBLIC TRUST, THOSE THAT REPRESENT THE TAXPAYERS , AND VOTERS OF THIS CITY..

    WHERE WAS THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LIBRARY BOARD AT, DID THEY KNOW, AND IF THEY DID, THEY MUST OF NOT SAID ANYTHING, HOW MANY OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC?

  • Cindy
    Posted at 13:10h, 12 March

    You have stumbled upon the actual reason that we are seeing so much widespread corruption everywhere. Accountability! It has been erased into the dustbin.

  • jannie
    Posted at 11:23h, 12 March

    Interesting – what a way to bypass the law!

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