News-Record.com

Before the budget talks began last night, the Guilford County commissioners took a short recess.

Usually the door to the meeting room and the commissioners' break room stays open during recess, but during Thursday's break, it was closed.

In North Carolina, there's a law that says if a majority of members from an elected body meet together, then it's a public meeting. If they meet together in that way and keep the door shut, then they must cite one of a few specific reasons such as a personnel matter or a business expansion, which usually pertains to incentives for companies like FedEx, RF Micro and such.

During Thursday's recess I counted four commissioners in the regular meeting room, which gave a good reason to suspect that at least six (a majority) were elsewhere. I guessed that they might be behind that closed door and asked to be let in. Commissioner Bruce Davis, who was not in the break room, said I didn't have the right to enter.

He told me that during a recess, commissioners could meet in any way they wanted.

So I grabbed County Attorney Sharron Kurtz to settle the matter. She said that if there were six commissioners there, that the group is open to the public.

We walked over to the break room, opened the door, and sure enough, there were six commissioners inside. Kurtz put a doorstop in front of the door, I popped in, said "Hi," and walked away.

Most of the time, the commissioners in that break room are just cutting up and chatting with one-another. And usually the door remains open. But in the moments leading up to passing the county's budget - arguably the biggest decision that commissioners make in a year - there's good reason to expect openness from elected officials. Particularly during a quiet process leading up to passing the budget.

FYI, here's a little primer on open meetings law in North Carolina from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper. Pay attention to question nine in particular. For you wonks, here's the law.