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By: Birch Horton Bittner and Cherot.
If you’ve ever attended a city council meeting, you’re likely to agree that the public comments on any given topic can range anywhere from the benign to the bizarre. As a municipal law attorney who attends city council meetings all over the state, the public comments are my favorite part of any meeting because they can be both wildly unpredictable and effective. In fact, public participation at city council meetings is probably the purest form of democracy-in-action. Elected city officials are essentially forced to listen (without responding) to their constituents’ opinions, which can have a powerful effect on a community’s legislation, policies, and elections. Read more.
