Editorial: Let's keep contracts out in the open
Rosemont has gotten a lot of publicity lately, but it isn't the only town that would prefer not to disclose financial information regarding its entertainment and convention business.
The subject of both a lawsuit and an Illinois Attorney General's ruling telling the village to make public the incentives given to Garth Brooks' concert promoter, Rosemont officials argue the village's competitive advantage would be irreparably harmed if forced to divulge the deal that brought Brooks to town last year - as well as the discounts and sweeteners that lure other big acts to the Allstate Arena or big trade shows to the convention center.
Lest anyone thinks Rosemont's viewpoint is unique, reporter Christopher Placek writes in today's Daily Herald that the same nondisclosure mindset is held by officials in other suburbs.
An attorney speaking for Hoffman Estates says the village is willing to be transparent over the acts it books for the Sears Centre Arena - except in cases where disclosure could affect its competitive edge. Representatives of the Schaumburg Convention Center and Genesee Theater in Waukegan claim to be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act because they have third party agencies that negotiate the contracts instead of the municipality.
To be clear - Rosemont has built an enviable entertainment district and a thriving convention center. Both are good for the community, and for the suburbs as a whole.
The convention center in Schaumburg, the Sears Centre, the Genesee, the Hemmens in Elgin - these and more are vital enterprises that bring culture and business to the suburbs.
We laud them all and applaud the municipal leaders who appreciate their value.
But the bottom line remains these are publicly-owned facilities, with all the attendant benefits and responsibilities. The public has a right to assess whether its representatives make good decisions with public money.
We support these municipalities in their efforts to make these venues successful.
But we support government transparency even more, and we're happy that the legal dominoes appear to be falling in its favor.
The FOI Act says a public record in the possession of a third party with whom the government has contracted to perform a function on its behalf is still a public record.
A government agency that runs a golf course, restaurant, sports arena, concert hall, convention center or dry cleaner needs to bring the same transparency to that venture as it brings to every other aspect of government.
That's just the way democracy works. The only way.