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Washington County commissioners adopt formal conduct rules after gallery removal and public criticism
Summary
At a regular meeting, the board read and affirmed new rules on decorum and removed a gallery attendee under a prior order. Citizens spoke in opposition to perceived restrictions on public participation; the commission defended the rules as viewpoint-neutral measures to prevent disruptions.
The Board of County Commissioners for Washington County read a new set of rules governing conduct at public meetings and enforced a prior order asking a gallery attendee to leave.
The rules were read aloud at the start of the meeting; the presiding staff member said the rules are “not meant to restrict viewpoints” and are intended to prevent disturbances so meetings can be “efficiently conducted.” The meeting’s presiding official explained that “excessive, repetitive profanity that serves no purpose other than shock value will be disruptive” and said the moderator would ask speakers to stop disruptive conduct regardless of viewpoint.
Why it matters: The board framed the rules as narrowly focused on preserving order and access; some members of the public said the measures could chill citizens’ ability to participate. Commissioner Dave Williams of Smithsburg and other commenters urged more flexibility for public comment and asked that the record note the start time for citizen participation so remote viewers know when it occurred.
Public testimony at the meeting criticized enforcement in a recent session. Resident Curtis Ray said the time spent policing speech has “taken up way too much time” and questioned the treatment of a recent resident who sought help about a local intersection. Ray told the commission he would like commissioners to respond during citizens’ comments when asked a question, saying, “sometimes the citizens do want to hear what you have to say.”
The board emphasized legal limits and precedent while defending the rules as viewpoint-neutral. The presiding staff member cited federal court guidance allowing reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner rules and said the county’s approach aims to be neutral and focused on preventing actual disturbance. The official also said the county has received constructive community input on the draft rules and described them as a “work in progress.”
The commissioners did not vote on new permanent language at the meeting; the rules were read into the record, the gallery ejection was enforced pursuant to an earlier order, and commissioners invited additional public input on fine-tuning enforcement. Ending: The board moved on to regular business after a recess and scheduling matter; the discussion and public concerns about rule enforcement were captured on the record for follow-up.
