Opn. No.

Hon. John W. Sutton Town Attorney, Town of Galway

This is in response to your request for an opinion of the Attorney General in regard to the following questions:

1. May a town board totally preclude the use of tape recorders at public meetings of such board?

2. Does a town board have the authority to compel the zoning board of appeals and the planning board of such town to tape record their meetings?

Prior opinions of this office have concluded that town boards and village boards of trustees have the authority to prohibit the use of tape recorders by the public and by members of such boards…