Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Rules Testimony topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aurora council advances rule change on member testimony; chair can recommend follow-up including censure
Summary
Council discussed a resolution to clarify rules for council member testimony on legislation and to require members who testify to emphasize they speak for themselves, with committee chair able to recommend remedies including censure; staff will bring the rewrite to the full council for consideration.
A council member brought forward a proposed resolution to amend council rules that would clarify how council members may testify on proposed legislation and to underscore that a council member should make clear when they are expressing personal views rather than the official view of the council.
The sponsor said the change was intended to address inconsistent testimony by council members in outside forums and to clarify expectations without impinging on First Amendment rights. George (counsel/staff) explained proposed wording that adds a line requiring council members who comment or testify on proposed legislation to emphasize they are expressing their own views, not the council’s or the councilmember’s constituents’ views.
Council members asked what remedies exist if a member fails to follow the rule. George and others explained that the committee chair could raise the matter, recommend informal remedies, or recommend formal remedies such as a censure to the full council; any formal sanctions would require full-council action. Members discussed whether a standard script or verbatim statement should be prepared for members to read before testifying; staff said a procedural script could be created as a companion to the rule.
Council members signaled support for moving the revised rule to the full council for floor consideration at the next meeting. Staff said they would include suggested procedural language or a script in the packet for the council’s review.
Next steps: the proposal will be placed on the full-council agenda for consideration and staff will draft a sample verbatim statement for members to use when testifying.
