When elected officials scramble to get behind closed doors, we start getting suspicious.

It’s an easy question to consider: What do they have to hide?

That question was on the minds of a number of Ferriday residents Tuesday night as an argument ensued over the disagreements between the Town of Ferriday and Triton Water Technologies, the company with a contract to perform water improvements for the city.

The matter bubbled to a boil when the city opted to take the discussions behind closed doors rather than keeping the matter before the taxpaying public.

Obviously, the mess has left some residents rightfully steamed.

Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law provides for closing such a meeting if having an open meeting would harm the “bargaining or litigating position of the public body.”

We struggle to understand how openly discussing the contract between the Town of Ferriday and Triton could harm either’s case since, technically, both sets of attorneys would be in the room. If all sides are involved in the discussion, how could either side’s position be hurt?

The only people who are harmed in such closed meetings are the public and their right to hear both sides of the issue and be able to make an informed opinion.

We urge Ferriday to reconsider their plans to discuss the disagreement behind closed doors.

The Ferriday water problems have been going on for far too long and the problems have, for many residents, remained a bit of a mystery too long, too.

It’s time to get the issue out in the open and put all the facts out on the table for all to see.