Ten days to go before our annual meeting … ten days before voting closes for the board of directors … and shareholders are still denied basic information about the coop’s financial situation.

Our fiscal year ended on June 30, yet almost five months later we have not yet seen financial statements. How are we supposed to make a judgement about our directors — especially the three incumbents running for re-election — if we are kept in the dark about their record?

The four candidates endorsed by Cooperatively Yours have pledged to make our audited annual report available 30 days before the annual meeting, so that appropriate questions can be raised during the campaign — and answered before you have to cast your vote.

How much did our unpopular pet policy cost us over the past year in legal fees? Is income keeping up with expenses? These are the kinds of questions we should be able to ask the candidates, and our discussions should be informed by up-to-date numbers. Instead, it has been the board’s pattern to distribute these financial reports at the last minute, just days before the annual meeting (after many cooperators have already cast their vote by proxy).

It shouldn’t take five months to produce information shareholders are entitled to. If we elect four new board members, it won’t anymore.