We’ve come to a stark realization. We either have two commissioners, Jeff Eggleston and Ben Kafferlin, who simply don’t care about the Sunshine Law, or they simply do not understand it.

And we know they understand it because we explained it to them in a lengthy email when they took office.

Let us explain:

On Tuesday, during the Warren County Commissioners meeting Mr. Eggleston and Mr. Kafferlin acknowledged a signed contract with a lobbying firm.

There has never been any public discussion about the hiring of a lobbying firm. Whether the $60,000 annual agreement, which has already been signed, is worth the county’s dollars is irrelevant to this viewpoint. What’s relevant is that the discussion and action should have taken place at a public meeting.

Thankfully, Commissioner Cindy Morrison spoke up immediately and accused her colleagues of violating the Sunshine Law.

She’s right. They did.

Quorum discussion — so literally any discussion between two of the commissioners — about the creation of contracts among a lengthy list of other business, like hiring a lobbying firm, is agency business under the Sunshine Act that can only take place at a public meeting. The discussion about whether or not to hire should have taken place at a public meeting, and the decision to create a contract is required to take place at a public meeting after meaningful public input on the issue. Agencies can’t make decisions on agency business in private.

And that’s exactly what they did.

So, Mr. Eggleston and Mr. Kafferlin, Mrs. Morrison is not crazy as Mr. Eggleston accused her of during the meeting.

You both owe her an apology and you owe your constituents an apology.

What you did is egregious.

And, by the way, when you ask our reporter not to report on this, save your breath. We will report on it. It is our job.

It is your job to discuss agency business in public when you have a quorum, which is two commissioners.