Challengers for the three open county commission seats said that televising the board's meeting on cable public access channels would help make county government more accessible to the public.

"This is something that should have and could have been done a long time ago," said Democrat Lawrence "Rusty" Thomas at a League of Women Voters forum here.

"We need to make the county government more open," said Democrat Catherine Stoker of West Chester Township, where trustees' meetings have been televised for years. Independent J. Michael Best, a former Fairfield City Council member, also noted that his city's meetings have been on TV for more than a decade.

Incumbent Greg Jolivette, who is running against Thomas, agreed that TV "opens democracy." Two other Republican incumbents seeking re-election - Michael A. Fox and Chuck Furmon - did not attend the candidates' forum.

Jolivette, a former Hamilton mayor and legislator, said TV coverage also would allow more people to observe sessions. Often only a handful of visitors attend commission meetings at 9:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

"This is an issue in the townships. They don't want to come to downtown Hamilton at 9:30 a.m. for meetings," Thomas said.

Best said, "My experience in Fairfield is that TV compels you to explain each piece of legislation, and what each one costs."

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com