The City of Llano council considered a draft social‑media policy covering city accounts and elected officials’ and employees’ conduct on social platforms; the discussion drew comments urging clear protections for constitutionally protected speech.
Keith Tudyk, who said he had been a city employee until the day before the meeting, described a social‑media post that he said was cited as a policy violation and argued his comments were protected under the Pickering‑Connick test for public‑employee speech. Tudyk read portions of the city’s public-relations clause in his employment contract and then summarized U.S. Supreme Court precedent, saying his critique about the org chart and management decisions addressed matters of public concern and did not jeopardize workplace relations. He concluded: “Therefore, the most sound conclusion is that it is protected speech.”
Steve, the operator of a civic information forum in town, said social media is today’s public square and urged the council to craft a policy that includes employees’ rights and to avoid chilling public discussion; he said he would continue his local forum to provide transparency.
Council members discussed the concept of a “walking quorum” and the legal risk that informal conversations or chained messages among a quorum of members could constitute a public-meeting violation; staff and council asked for clearer definitions and protections to be drafted. No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; council asked staff and legal counsel to refine the draft and to include clear statements about protected speech and operational limits for official accounts.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney will review the policy draft and return to council with revisions that address employee free-speech protections, definitions of walking quorum in social-media contexts, and guidance for official city accounts.