Open Government Forum

It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that the public business be performed in an open and
public manner and that the citizens of this state be fully aware of and able to observe the performance of public
officials and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy. The people
must be able to remain informed if they are to retain control over those who are their public servants. It is the only
climate under which the commonweal will prosper and enable the governmental process to operate for the benefit of
those who created it.
– Legislative Declaration – New York State Open Meetings Law

The legislature hereby finds that a free society is maintained when government is responsive and responsible to
the public, and when the public is aware of governmental actions. The more open a government is with its
citizenry, the greater the understanding and participation of the public in government.

As state and local government services increase and public problems become more sophisticated and complex and
therefore harder to solve, and with the resultant increase in revenues and expenditures, it is incumbent upon the
state and its localities to extend public accountability wherever and whenever feasible.

The people’s right to know the process of governmental decision-making and to review the documents and
statistics leading to determinations is basic to our society. Access to such information should not be thwarted by
shrouding it with the cloak of secrecy or confidentiality. The legislature therefore declares that government is the
public’s business and that the public, individually and collectively and represented by a free press, should have
access to the records of government in accordance with the provisions of this article.
– Legislative Declaration – New York State Freedom of Information Law