Public comment at the Dec. 1 O'Fallon City Council meeting included a range of community concerns: a call for a local resolution on election procedures, questions about specific warrant expenditures, and praise for volunteer efforts.

An unidentified speaker urged the council to "choose transparency over convenience" and to pass a resolution to move away from voting machines toward hand‑marked, hand‑counted ballots, citing lawsuits and what the speaker described as concerns over machine accuracy. "Justice delayed is justice denied," the speaker said, and urged the council to act.

Another resident read items from the warrant report and asked for clarity on several charges, citing payments for downtown lighting, IT purchases from CivicPlus and Dell, a façade program match and a large invoice listed to RSC Construction for work on an entryway. The resident asked who decided to move the city's Christmas parade and what will happen to approximately $100,000 in Cityfest funds referenced in media coverage.

City staff responded that the downtown lights were replaced because of tornado damage and that the downtown façade program is a judged 1:1 match up to $14,999 paid from economic development (hotel/motel) taxes and downtown TIF funds. Staff offered to make invoices available for inspection. On the parade, staff said the organizer, with support from police and administration, chose to move the event and that staff supported the decision.

The council did not take action on policy items from the public comment period but directed staff to follow up on requests for invoices and to present updates at upcoming committee meetings.