EDITORIAL: Thanks for public input policy change

Published 9:00 am Saturday, September 16, 2023

Earlier this summer Milledgeville City Council adjusted its meeting format to allow citizens to sign up at each meeting to address the mayor and council. We have previously stated our position that council’s policy on public input should be changed and we are pleased to see that it has.

Before the change, citizens were required to request to address city council on the meeting agenda before the meeting, per city policy. However, as we’ve noted before, if there is an urgent matter that someone has be bring to city council’s attention, it can’t necessarily be planned or predicted far enough in advance for a request to speak to be made ahead of time.

This recent change allows for more flexibility and is a welcomed change.

Other governing bodies allow citizens to sign up to speak as well. We understand that there must be protocol and decorum should be practiced and there should be limits on the amount of time citizens are allowed to speak. No one should be allowed to speak with disrespect or get out of hand, but there are pressing issues that should be addressed by presenting them to government officials in a respectful manner.

Citizens have a responsibility in this process, too. They have to show up and get engaged to have a say and be heard.

Citizens should sign up to discuss an item on the meeting agenda. That’s only fair. That’s also compromising. It allows citizens to have their say and gives tax-paying residents a chance to have public dialogue with the people elected to represent them.

Thank you, Milledgeville City Council, for making this change. This is an excellent example of compromise and transparency. Too often, we don’t see or note such in our government.

As we’ve noted before, government, notably truly effective government, requires more dialogue — input and feedback between the people and those charged to serve.