What happened to at-large Councilman Danny Thompson on the move to push speakers from the floor to the end of the meeting?
First, he tells WFMY's Julia Bagg: "It's not going to cut anybody out. Let's see how it goes. Let's give it a shot."
Then, after hearing public comment opposing the change, Thompson says from the dais that he has elderly constituents who go to bed early and asks the mayor to reconsider the move.
Talk about changing horses....
3 comments:
How dare he let his constituents sway his decisions!
But seriously, it seems there is no perfect way to handle the situation. I started out supporting the mayor's decision but I'm starting to lean towards the notion that 30 minutes before and after the agenda is handled seems more fair. Though I can see how that would seem unfair to some.
Say what you want about Mayor Johnson but her dedication to letting every citizen have their say was admirable, even if it did mean that council had to put off important business until another meeting.
Citizens should remember that council meetings are only one forum for voicing their concerns to their representatives. The City of Greensboro website provides contact information for each council member and the city manager's office. Many council members are happy to have coffee with their constituents when they have spare time.
Either way, it's nice to see Thompson get some publicity. He seems like a take charge guy and this incident shows that his dedication to the concerns of his constituents comes before any perceived allegiance to the mayor.
--Brandon Burgess
--Brandon Burgess
By far the majority of people at a Council meeting are there for business that is on the agenda, not for the chance to speak about their own issues. The demand to have the TV audience and the Council hear other speakers first seems a little arrogant to me.
I'm sitting the fence on this one. On one hand, there's no doubt that the meetings ran too long during the last council and they were filled with distracting verbal sideshows between speakers and council members.
And yet, speakers from the floor is the one opportunity for citizens to speak to all nine council members and the public at the same time. Many council members don't read blogs. And the elderly and disable absolutely deserve equal access.
Maybe a compromise is the way to go. 30 minutes at the beginning with preference given to those who cannot stay late, with the rest overflowing to the end of the meeting, would probably come the closest to meeting requirements on both sides of the issue.
I'm not greatly troubled by Thompson's flip-flop, although I do like to feel reasonably assured when I quote an elected official that his position isn't going to change before it makes it to print.
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