Recently the Town Council of Surfside Beach proposed an ordinance that would prohibit town employees from recording employment related conversations, and would provide for immediate termination of those who do. So much for transparency of government, even as South Carolina law explicitly allows these conversations to be recorded as long as one party to the conversation consents, some members of council spin this proposed ordinance as a means to prevent lawsuits.

This is in spite of the town’s perfect record in defending (and losing) lawsuits by improperly terminated employees. The only possible beneficiaries of this proposed ordinance are those who violate the law and then want secrecy to cover their wrongdoings.

The solution is simple. Expect and demand that town officials and employees act within the law, and follow the simple business principle “never say anything that you would not put in writing.”

The writer lives in Surfside Beach.