One of Norman Rockwell’s most iconic paintings is a representation of “Freedom of Speech,” one of the four freedoms famously pronounced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a State of the Union address during World War II. The picture depicts a man standing up at a town meeting as members of the community listen attentively to his comments. While the depicted orderliness of the discussion is a welcome respite from the acrimony that occasionally fills some public meetings, Rockwell’s idealistic view of the town meeting and its particular lofty place in democratic society is a symbolic reminder of this long-standing ritual.
The ability to speak out at town meetings is a time-honored tradition, designed to ensure that members of the public have a meaningful opportunity to be heard before their elected representative officials.
But across the United States, governing bodies are restricting — and sometimes even halting — public comment in an effort to streamline city business and make their meeting time more productive.
It’s happening right here in Fargo, too.
What started off as a review of the commission’s draft of new governance policies during the March 4 City Commission meeting quickly turned into a debate about public feedback and when it’s appropriate and productive in local government. A draft policy states that the city will allow public comment in their meetings, as they have done for years. Public comments related to agenda items would be heard at the beginning of meetings while all other public comments would be heard at the end.
But unidentified feedback solicited from the commission members by city staff suggested removal of public comment opportunities from their meetings entirely or relocating them to lower profile settings.
This is unacceptable.
While these public forums may sometimes be burdensome, time-consuming, and occasionally even infuriating for elected officials to sit through, it’s a fundamental component of public service and one of the best ways to promote both civic engagement and a connection between our elected officials and the communities they serve.
To be sure, residents can email or call their elected officials at any time. Fargo is fortunate to have a mostly accessible and responsive commission. But this is not guaranteed now or in the future. Public comment at our City Commission meetings enables Fargo residents to address the board as a whole and allows people to be informed and educated about the concerns their neighbors have, too.
The public comment period is also a critical avenue for citizens to speak to those in power and privilege. Over the past several years, and particularly in recent months, the majority of speakers during public comment period at City Commission meetings have been people of color and residents under the age of 45. All members of the City Commission are white and older than age 60.
One commissioner reminded us at the March 4 meeting that City Commission meetings are for the “business of the city.” That’s absolutely true. But the business of the city is of its residents. All of its residents.
Our elected officials can’t shrink from controversy, even out of a desire to maintain civility and keep the peace. They can’t restrict public comment just because they don’t want to hear the input being provided by the people for whom they work. But they can impose generally applicable and reasonable time limits on the overall period of public comment and on individual speakers. However, suspending all public comment is not a reasonable response.
As commissioners continue the discussion on public comment, it’s important that we make our voices heard. Access to public meetings and that face-to-face opportunity to talk to our elected officials is an essential feature of local democracy. Please don’t silence our voices. Let Fargo speak!
A version of this column also appeared in The Forum.
