“Because you have the right to know…” is the theme of Sunshine Week being observed this week by this newspaper through the Mississippi Press Association and the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information.

You have a right to know —

–whether government business is being performed in an open and public manner;

r–if public servants are working on you behalf;

–how your tax dollars are being spent;

–deliberations and votes in government that affect citizens;

–decisions made by school boards that affect your children’s education;

–about incidents of crime in your neighborhood;

–about who is contributing money to political candidates.

Know your rights–

–to full accountability from government;

–to attend government meetings where public policy is discussed;

–to inspect and copy public records.

Open government promotes good government.

Local government meetings are held:

Panola County Supervisors, 1st and 2nd Mondays at 9 a.m. at Sardis and Batesville Courthouses respectively;

North Panola School Board of Trustees, 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the North Panola High School Library on Highway 51 in Sardis;

South Panola School Board of Trustees, third Tuesday of each month at Parent Center on College Street in Batesville;

City of Batesville, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 2 p.m. at City Hall on College Street;

City of Sardis, 1st Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall on East Lee Street.

City of Como, 1st Tuesday of each month at the Como  Public Library at 7 p.m.

City of Crenshaw, 1st Tuesday of each month at Crenshaw Town Hall at 7 p.m.

City of Courtland, 1st Tuesday of each month at Courtland Town Hall.

City of Pope, 1st Tuesday of each month at Town Hall at 6 p.m.

Panola County Land Use Commission, 2nd Monday of each month at the Panola County Courthouse (alternates between Sardis and Batesville monthly) at 6 p.m.

Batesville Planning Authority, last Monday of each month at 5 p.m. At the board room at City Hall.

Please help us recognize Sunshine Week because open government promotes good government and you have the right to know.