Editorial: Keeping public records public

So says a new report issued Tuesday by the government watchdog group Common Cause Massachusetts.

Common Cause has launched a new project, the Massachusetts Campaign for Open Government, which analyzed municipal Web sites to see which ones post key government records.

According to the report, Belmont posts the agendas and minutes of town committees, as well as budget information, general bylaws and Town Meeting warrants.

The one type of information that researchers sought but could not find on Belmont’s Web site was Town Meeting results. However, you can indeed find them online. Just look for the town’s annual reports. All Town Meeting results are listed there.

On the other hand, there are some town boards and committees that are really lax about publishing their minutes. Perhaps a statewide organization cannot be expected to keep track of all town committees. That’s the role of local watchdogs — such as this newspaper.

We find the Belmont Web site to be a little slow, and sometimes it’s hard to locate what we’re looking for. But the town is currently considering a major redesign of its Web site to make it easier to search for information.

“The foundation of our democracy is built on public access to information about our government,” said Karla de Steuben, a Common Cause board member and founder of the Campaign for Open Government. “The easier it is to obtain key information, the more likely it is that people will have the tools necessary to effectively participate in government, and hold our elected leaders accountable.”

Kudos to Belmont’s government. Compared to most cities and towns in Massachusetts, it is working hard to keep its residents informed.