OMA section 1.02

Whether mayor counts toward quorum for OMA meeting

Rule: The mayor counts toward a quorum under the Municipal Code, so a gathering of the mayor and two alderpersons is a meeting subject to OMA.

Violation found A city council's unannounced private gathering · June 21, 2024

Council gathering as OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting when members engage in interactive discussion to collect information on public business within their authority.

Violation found Proof-of-residency requirement for a public meeting · March 15, 2024

Whether DEI subcommittees are public bodies under OMA

Rule: Subsidiary bodies, including subcommittees supported by tax revenue, are public bodies subject to OMA; key factors are government creation and control.

Violation found A DEI subcommittee's failure to provide meeting notice · April 9, 2024

Whether ACT Board is a public body under OMA

Rule: An entity is a subsidiary body if it has a public purpose and the government exercises significant control, outweighing independent contractor status.

Violation found Board vote to appoint an executive director without agenda notice · December 17, 2024

Improper closed meeting on March 10, 2021

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum of a public body to discuss public business, including policy matters not requiring a vote, must comply with OMA.

Violation found A board's closed-session discussion of policy recommendations · January 19, 2022

Discussions of proposed legislative amendment by two commissioners

Rule: OMA applies to gatherings of a majority of a quorum discussing public business, even if no formal vote is taken and the body lacks authority to act on the matter.

Violation found Commissioners' discussions on property tax code amendments · December 15, 2022

March 26, 2020 conference call was a meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum discussing public business is a meeting subject to OMA.

Violation found City council conference call gatherings without public notice · September 11, 2020

March 30, 2020 conference call was a meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum discussing public business is a meeting subject to OMA.

Violation found City council conference call gatherings without public notice · September 11, 2020

April 6, 2020 conference call was a meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum discussing public business is a meeting subject to OMA.

Violation found City council conference call gatherings without public notice · September 11, 2020

Conference call as OMA meeting without notice

Rule: A conference call involving a majority of a quorum discussing public business is a meeting subject to OMA notice and open-meeting requirements.

Violation found Unannounced conference call among board members · February 25, 2020

Whether Advisory Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: The Advisory Committee is a public body subject to OMA because it is a formal part of the City's structure with defined responsibilities and deliberative functions.

Violation found An advisory committee's closed meetings and missing records · July 31, 2020

Holding agency funding hearings in private without OMA compliance

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum held for discussing public business, including collective inquiry and exchange of facts preliminary to a decision, is a meeting subject to OMA.

Violation found Private agency funding hearings and missing meeting agendas · April 12, 2019

6:30 p.m. gatherings as meetings

Rule: Gatherings where a quorum collectively acquires and exchanges facts preliminary to a decision on public business constitute meetings subject to OMA.

Violation found Unannounced pre-meeting gatherings and a blocked board meeting · February 20, 2018

Improper closed meeting on November 1, 2016

Rule: A quorum of a three-member board discussing public business triggers OMA even without a vote or final action.

Violation found Private discussion of employee insurance coverage · March 28, 2018

Whether the Advisory Board is a public body subject to OMA

Rule: The Advisory Board is a public body because it lacks independent legal existence, performs governmental functions, and is accountable to the Designating Units of Government.

Violation found An enterprise zone advisory board's OMA compliance · February 15, 2018

Whether the Task Force is a public body under OMA

Rule: An entity is a public body if it is an advisory body supported by tax revenue or expending tax revenue, applying the Stukel factors.

Violation found A city task force's compliance with the Open Meetings Act · May 18, 2018

Whether RTACs are public bodies subject to OMA

Rule: RTACs are advisory bodies of the State because their duties and composition are set by statute, they are accountable to entities controlled by the Department, have a formal role in decision-making, and make impactful recommendations.

Violation found Regional trauma advisory committees' OMA status · December 6, 2017

Private gathering as meeting under OMA

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum engaged in contemporaneous interactive communication about public business is a meeting, even if members rotate to avoid simultaneous presence.

Violation found A committee's private discussion of a redistricting map · August 12, 2011

Whether serial one-on-one communications constituted a meeting

Rule: A meeting requires contemporaneous interactive communications involving at least a majority of a quorum; serial one-on-one communications do not qualify.

No violation A school board's letter signed by a majority of members · July 31, 2026

Facebook comments by trustees as OMA meeting

Rule: Facebook comments by trustees directed at constituents, without interactive deliberation among a majority of a quorum, did not constitute a meeting under OMA.

No violation Trustees' Facebook comments as a public meeting · May 28, 2025

Whether Zoom gathering was an OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering is not an OMA meeting unless members engage in collective inquiry or deliberative discussions of public business beyond mere attendance at a presentation.

No violation A county board's Zoom gathering of committee members · September 10, 2025

Whether the November 23, 2024 gathering was a 'meeting' under OMA

Rule: A gathering is not a 'meeting' unless a majority of a quorum engages in collective inquiry or deliberation on public business.

No violation Informal gatherings of a village board · October 20, 2025

Whether serial one-on-one discussions constituted a meeting

Rule: A meeting requires a gathering of a majority of a quorum; serial one-on-one discussions involving fewer than three members do not constitute a meeting under the plain language of OMA.

No violation Board deliberation on a censure resolution outside a public meeting · March 26, 2025

Whether the CAG is a public body subject to OMA

Rule: An ad hoc group of external volunteers with no formal appointment, no bylaws, no budget, and no binding authority is not a public body under OMA.

No violation A Community Advisory Group meeting under OMA · November 4, 2024

Quorum and vote requirement to fill park district board vacancy

Rule: For a five-member park district board, the more specific and recently amended Park District Code vacancy-filling procedure prevails over OMA's general three-vote quorum requirement.

No violation Appointment of a new board member by a sub-quorum · March 1, 2024

Board gathering as OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering is not a meeting if members make only limited informational remarks and do not engage in interactive deliberation or exchange facts for future action.

No violation Proof-of-residency requirement for a public meeting · March 15, 2024

Interviews by First Assistant Commissioners as meeting

Rule: A gathering is a meeting only if members of the public body participate; subordinates acting as proxies are not members subject to OMA.

No violation Hiring of a General Counsel and Chief Ethics Officer · October 22, 2024

Alleged secret meeting on committee assignments

Rule: A 'meeting' requires a gathering of a majority of a quorum for discussing public business; one-on-one conversations do not meet this definition.

No violation A city council's agenda description for a censure vote · February 23, 2024

Whether March 16, 2023 Zoom call was an OMA meeting

Rule: A campaign event where board members communicate their views to the public to promote candidacies, without deliberating among themselves on public business, is not a meeting under OMA.

No violation A campaign town hall attended by a school board quorum · November 19, 2024

Whether Board members' attendance at Committee hearing constituted an OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting only if members collectively engage in deliberative discussions of public business; merely attending and conveying information to another body does not trigger OMA.

No violation Board members' presence at a committee budget hearing · October 6, 2023

Alleged unnoticed meeting on March 25, 2022

Rule: Separate conversations among trustees in the boardroom did not constitute a meeting because there was no deliberation of public business together.

No violation Private board meetings to discuss appointing a village president · June 13, 2023

Alleged secret meeting to select Village President before April 4, 2022

Rule: Communications among trustees were not contemporaneous and interactive, so they did not constitute a meeting under OMA.

No violation Private board meetings to discuss appointing a village president · June 13, 2023

Alleged serial meetings or walking quorum

Rule: Separate one-on-one conversations over a longer period were not close enough in time to be contemporaneous and interactive.

No violation Private board meetings to discuss appointing a village president · June 13, 2023

Whether the Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: An informal parent support group that is not formally appointed, has no deliberative function, and is not subject to government control is not a public body under OMA.

No violation A school district parent committee meeting · December 30, 2022

Improper private meeting via electronic communication

Rule: No facts indicate a majority of a quorum engaged in contemporaneous interactive communication constituting a meeting subject to OMA.

No violation Informal straw polls to set a board agenda · April 11, 2022

Whether the Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: An entity is a public body only if it is an advisory or subsidiary body of a public body, considering appointment, duties, control, funding, and functions.

No violation A violence prevention planning committee's meeting openness · March 10, 2021

Whether Board held improper meeting via separate discussions

Rule: Separate conversations between an employee and individual board members are not a meeting because no majority of a quorum gathered for contemporaneous discussion.

No violation A park district board's discussion of a citizen's agenda motion · February 4, 2021

May 8, 2020 conference call not a meeting

Rule: Communications involving less than a majority of a quorum are not meetings subject to OMA.

No violation City council conference call gatherings without public notice · September 11, 2020

Comments after adjournment as improper meeting

Rule: OMA applies to gatherings of a majority of a quorum for discussing public business; only one member made a statement after adjournment, so no meeting occurred.

No violation A special city council meeting's agenda and member training · February 21, 2020

Whether the Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: An entity is an advisory body subject to OMA if it has defined responsibilities and is a formal part of the public body's structure, considering factors like appointment, duties, autonomy, and impact.

No violation A bilingual parent advisory committee's OMA status · July 10, 2020

Whether community meeting was a City Council meeting under OMA

Rule: A gathering is not a meeting unless a majority of a quorum deliberates or discusses public business; mere attendance by members does not trigger OMA.

No violation A community meeting attended by a council member · October 2, 2019

Gathering at McGuire's was not a meeting

Rule: Private social and political gatherings of public body members do not violate OMA unless they deliberate about public business.

No violation Private meetings of city council members at local establishments · May 2, 2019

Alleged absence of agenda items and private electoral work

Rule: The absence of agenda items and private electoral collaboration does not indicate an OMA violation because political gatherings are distinct from meetings to transact public business.

No violation Private meetings of city council members at local establishments · May 2, 2019

Whether the President's Staff Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: The committee is not a public body because it lacks clearly assigned composition, service periods, oversight, and formal grounding in the University Council structure.

No violation Closed meetings of a university president's staff committee · April 29, 2019

Whether the Senior Leadership Roundtable is a public body under OMA

Rule: The Roundtable is not a public body for the same reasons as the Staff Committee, as it is merely the Staff Committee by another name.

No violation Closed meetings of a university president's staff committee · April 29, 2019

Whether e-mail exchanges constituted a meeting under OMA

Rule: A meeting requires contemporaneous interactive communication among a majority of a quorum; e-mails sent over an hour apart are not contemporaneous.

No violation Board members' emails coordinating a public statement · January 31, 2019

Whether Council gathering with reporter was an OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting only if held for the purpose of discussing public business; mere attendance without deliberative discussion does not trigger OMA.

No violation A council's gathering with a reporter · July 17, 2018

Whether breakfast event was a public meeting under OMA

Rule: A gathering is an OMA meeting only if a majority of a quorum discusses public business; a single member's speech at a chamber event is not.

No violation A chamber of commerce breakfast with local officials · April 3, 2018

January 31, 2018 public forum

Rule: A gathering is not an OMA meeting unless a majority of a quorum engages in deliberative discussions of public business; mere attendance or separated comments do not suffice.

No violation Village board members' attendance at public forums · June 13, 2018

February 26, 2018 informational forum

Rule: A gathering is not an OMA meeting unless a majority of a quorum engages in deliberative discussions of public business; discussions with the public do not constitute deliberations among Board members.

No violation Village board members' attendance at public forums · June 13, 2018

Whether the Board held an undisclosed meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting only if held for the purpose of discussing public business; the Board asserted no public business was discussed and no contradicting evidence was presented.

No violation A board retreat at a remote location · March 9, 2018

Whether Board members' e-mails constituted a meeting

Rule: E-mails among Board members about filing objections to a referendum petition were private political activity, not public business, so no meeting occurred.

No violation Email correspondence between school board members about a referendum petition · January 31, 2018

Whether gathering was an OMA 'meeting'

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting only if held to discuss public business in a deliberative manner.

No violation A city council's campaign fundraiser gathering · November 28, 2017

Whether Evaluation Committee is a public body under OMA

Rule: An ad hoc committee that functions independently of the City Council, is not part of its formal organizational structure, and has limited advisory duties is not a public body subject to OMA.

No violation An ad-hoc committee evaluating redevelopment RFQs · December 20, 2017

Whether August 8, 2017 gathering was an OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is a meeting only if held for the purpose of discussing public business; informational site visits without deliberation are not meetings.

No violation A village committee's gathering at a private residence · October 3, 2017

Whether joint sessions constituted an OMA meeting

Rule: A gathering of a majority of a quorum is not a meeting unless held to discuss public business in a deliberative manner.

No violation Joint sessions of a university board with affiliated foundation members · August 18, 2017

Whether the Superintendent's Task Force is a public body under OMA

Rule: A group is not a public body if it is an internal advisory group without formal structure, deliberative functions, or accountability to a public body.

No violation Superintendent's task force as a public body · April 6, 2017

E-mails on vacant Board seat

Rule: E-mails separated by more than an hour and more than two days are not contemporaneous interactive communication, so no meeting occurred.

No violation Board members' emails on a board seat and contract · February 18, 2016

E-mails on Executive Director contract

Rule: No Board member responded to the e-mails, so there was no contemporaneous interactive communication among Board members.

No violation Board members' emails on a board seat and contract · February 18, 2016

Whether meeting was subject to OMA as gathering of majority of quorum

Rule: OMA applies only to gatherings of a majority of a quorum of a public body held to discuss public business.

No violation A political party precinct committeemen meeting · June 29, 2015

E-mail communications as OMA meeting

Rule: E-mails among Board members did not constitute a meeting because no majority of a quorum contemporaneously discussed public business.

No violation School board members' emails about appointments · June 8, 2015