Opinion No. (2006)

BILL LOCKYER Attorney General DANIEL G. STONE Deputy Attorney General THE HONORABLE WESLEY CHESBRO, MEMBER OF THE STATE SENATE, has requested an opinion on the following question: When the legislative body of a local agency meets in closed session to consider the proposed dismissal of a public employee but ultimately rejects that proposal and retains the employee, is the legislative body thereafter required to publicly report its decision and the vote or abstention of each member? CONCLUSION When the legislative body of a local agency meets in closed session to consider the proposed dismissal of a public employee but ultimately rejects that proposal and retains the employee, the legislative body is not thereafter required to publicly report its decision and the vote or abstention of each member. ANALYSIS Under the Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code, §§ 54950-54962; "Act"), 1 the legislative bodies of local agencies are ordinarily required to conduct their business in open and public sessions. (See, e.g., Shapiro v. Board of Directors (2005) 134 Cal.App.4th 170 , 179 ; Chaffee v. San Francisco Library Commission (2004) 115 Cal.App.4th 461 , 468-469 ; International…