We have all been reading quite a bit from Smithfield Democratic candidates boasting what they apparently consider a big achievement: That they followed the state Open Meeting Act (OMA), which they were cited for violating in April 2007.

The Council violated that law again at their final meeting of the year. At this meeting, they met in secret to discuss pursuing tuition payments from a family who had been found to be attending Smithfield's schools illegally. At the last Town Council meeting, Mike Flynn moved that the town's attorney be directed to take steps necessary to collect the $220,000 that was spent educating 3 non-resident kids, but the motion failed. Democrats Hawkins and Cerroni voted NO while Republicans Flynn and Manni voted YES. Stephen Archambault had recused himself, since the family in question was his own.

The OMA allows a public body to keep such votes secret only long enough to protect the strategy of the legal action. No legal action equals no strategy to protect. That vote should have been disclosed immediately, but to date has not been.

Situations such as this are exactly why the OMA was enacted. Certain Councilors may prefer this vote stay quiet. If they can't follow the law even when it's hard, they should quit now.