Residents at Flint City meeting criticize council transparency, say chamber camera covered

Residents at a Flint City council meeting criticized council transparency and said a chamber camera has been covered for weeks, public commenters said during the meeting's public comment period.

Unidentified resident, a public commenter, opened by calling meetings a “drama show” and urged broader public attention to council proceedings. Another public commenter said the covered camera should be recording and asked council staff member Davina why it had been covered for a couple weeks. “As I've said before, that should be recording us up here so we have another angle,” the commenter said, adding that the camera is usually the view they address when speaking to the mayor.

The commenters also raised concerns about representation in the council chambers, saying attendance skewed heavily by race. “White people of Flint, I'm talking to you as well. I'm sick of seeing only 5 white people down here,” one commenter said, urging broader civic participation and saying long-term change requires more residents to attend and engage.

Speakers framed these remarks as a matter of public record and accountability. One commenter used strong language to accuse the city administration of corruption and urged residents to reach out to community members on Facebook to learn how to engage.

The transcript does not record any council response or formal action related to the camera or to the representation concerns during the excerpt provided. No ordinance, motion, or staff directive about the camera was recorded in the provided transcript segment.