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The Prince George's County police union has filed a complaint with the Maryland Attorney General alleging that the County Council violated state law by meeting privately twice this year to discuss topics that should have been open to the public.

The March 12 complaint by Vince Canales, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, to the state's Open Meetings Compliance Board alleges that the council did not provide enough justification to hold executive sessions on Jan. 13 and Feb. 17 this year.

"We've become aware of several violations over the past year," Canales said after filing. "Sources within the administration have advised us that items outside the purview of the act have been discussed. We want to try to see what some of these issues were."

County Council spokeswoman Karen Campbell did not return a call for comment regarding the complaint.

Maryland's Open Meetings Act requires governments to conduct business in public view in most cases. Special exceptions are allowed for groups to discuss an employee's performance and disciplinary action, discuss sensitive business or contract negotiations, or seek advice from attorneys about pending lawsuits — though groups are not required to meet in closed sessions to discuss those items.

The compliance board investigates complaints of violations and issues advisory opinions on whether a government's closed session met the requirements of law. The opinions do not carry any penalty.

In the complaint, police claim a person who attended the sessions confirmed that the council was meeting in violation of the act by discussing budget matters and other business not covered under the law.

Canales declined to name the source, who allegedly told police that the council used its Jan. 17 session to discuss a tax increase proposal from County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), which the council voted on in support of in early February before state lawmakers struck it down. Documents outlining county budget shortfalls were handed out at the meeting, which included the executive's staff, but were collected at the end, police said in the complaint.

The Feb. 17 session was held with a county attorney to discuss a pending lawsuit brought by the FOP and other labor unions over the county's decision to furlough 5,900 employees this year, the source told the union. FOP officials have filed a federal lawsuit trying to overturn the furloughs, which they say were done in violation of labor contracts.

The February session with lawyers likely meets the definition of the act, Canales acknowledged, but he said forcing the county to provide justification may show shortcomings in the county's record-keeping system for closed sessions.

"Our understanding is that notes and minutes are supposed to be kept from these meetings," he said. "We want to see if they were."

The complaint asks the council to turn over documentation and other information about the two sessions.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.