Transparency isn’t just about making information public — it’s about how decisions are made, who is involved, and whether the right process is followed.

For weeks, Jasper’s city council has attempted to waive attorney-client privilege and publicly release a legal opinion regarding Jasper Economic Development Corporation (JEDCO) — but without first holding an executive session to properly review it.

And that’s not just an oversight. It’s a pattern.

April 14: The Postponement

During the April 14 meeting, an agenda item was introduced to waive attorney-client communications and release the memorandum. Instead of proceeding immediately, Councilwoman Angel McCroskey made a motion to postpone the matter, stating that council should first meet in a closed session with the city attorney, as is standard practice and as advised by the city’s tax-paid legal expert. The motion was seconded by Councilman Ronald Sample, ensuring formal support for the delay.

April 21: The First Failed Meeting

A special meeting was called to discuss the memorandum and take any actions necessary. The meeting could not proceed due to the lack of quorum, as Council members Hilderbrand and Holmes were absent.

May 1: The Second Failed Meeting

Another special meeting was scheduled for the waiver of attorney-client privilege.

No quorum — again. Council member McCroskey was absent. While the reason for her absence is unclear, it would not be surprising if it were due to her consistent stance that an executive session should be held before waiving privilege. DeMarcus Holmes was out of town, but despite Zoom being set up, he did not video in.

May 8: The Push Continues

Instead of regrouping and adding a closed session to the agenda — as is standard practice and was advised by the city attorney — the same item to waive attorney-client privilege and release the memorandum to the public has been reposted for next week’s regular meeting.

I don’t get it. Why skip the logical step of meeting privately as a council before releasing the memorandum? Whether waiving privilege is warranted or not — I don’t know. But what I do know is that the process is being actively bypassed.

History Repeating Itself

This situation isn’t happening in a vacuum. Ignoring procedures is exactly how JEDCO got into this mess to begin with. Lack of oversight, rushed decisions, and bypassing standard processes have already led to controversy and confusion — so why continue making the same mistakes?

Why hasn’t council scheduled a closed session to review the memorandum as a team, as recommended by the city attorney?

Why is the push to waive privilege happening before proper discussion?

Who stands to gain from rushing this forward — and who loses the chance to weigh in?

If transparency is the goal, why sidestep the process that ensures informed decisions?

This isn’t just about one legal opinion. It’s about whether government procedure matters — or if it can be ignored when convenient.

Because transparency isn’t just about making information public — it’s about making it public the right way.