Courtroom code names: Does Hays need to crack down on government transparency?

By Paige Lambert

For weeks, Projects Humpty Dumpty and Endurance sat on the executive session agenda of the Hays County Commissioners Court. Details of the projects were a mystery to the public, until the court approved and revealed them as economic developments in San Marcos.

While open government and transparency is paramount for those in the public eye, using pseudonyms for economic developments is a legal — and typical — act, according to Hays County attorney Mark Kennedy.