FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUDITOR WALDER CELEBRATES SUNSHINE WEEK 2026
CHARDON, OHIO – March 10, 2026 – Geauga County Auditor Charles E. Walder celebrates this year’s Sunshine Week, which will run from March 15-21, 2026. Sunshine Week is a national initiative promoting government transparency and access to public records. Created in 2005 to shine a spotlight on the value of open government, Sunshine Week has been recognized annually since.
“We in government serve the people,” Auditor Walder said. “Public officials should conduct public business transparently and accountably, and Sunshine Week raises awareness about the importance of open government.”
In Ohio, the Public Records and Open Meetings acts give Ohioans access to government meetings and records. Collectively, they are known as Ohio’s “Sunshine Laws.” In 2018, to increase transparency, Auditor Walder designated his Chief Compliance Officer, Kate Jacob, as the Public
Records Coordinator for the Auditor’s Office.
“You have a right to see how your government is working for you,” Auditor Walder said. “I am proud of our employees who work hard all year providing a high level of transparency for the public, which builds trust and confidence in Geauga County government.”
On the Geauga County Auditor’s “Public Transparency” webpage, the public can easily access public records relating to matters of public interest and public expenditures.
“They say that ‘information is power,’” Ms. Jacob said. “At the Geauga County Auditor’s Office under Auditor Walder’s leadership, we believe that power belongs to the people that we serve. Sunshine Week is an opportunity to celebrate open government, which helps fight against public corruption by giving back the power of information to the people.”
For more information about Ohio’s Sunshine Laws, including training and reference materials, please see Ohio Attorney General Yost’s website, at https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Sunshine. Ohio’s Sunshine Law Manual is available for free online on that site.
For more information about the Geauga County Auditor’s Office’s Public Transparency page or public records, please visit https://auditor.geauga.oh.gov/ or contact Kate Jacob by email at [email protected].
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