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Uvalde County amends court rules to allow limited general public comment
Summary
Commissioners amended court procedure to allow a 15-minute general public comment period (3 minutes per speaker) for non-agenda items, aligning the court with other local entities; the motion passed after commissioners debated order and scope.
Uvalde County commissioners approved an amendment to the court's rules of procedure to permit a general public-comment period addressing non-agenda matters.
Commissioner Garza introduced the item, saying the change would align the commissioners court with practices used by city, school and other local governing bodies and would remove what he called an obstacle to public participation. Under the adopted change the court will allow up to 15 minutes for non-agenda public comments to occur after the invocation, with a 3-minute limit per speaker.
Supporters said the change would provide an orderly way for residents to raise local concerns — for example, stray-animal issues — without requiring the speaker to secure an agenda slot in advance. Several commissioners expressed confidence in the judge—s ability to maintain decorum while opening the floor.
The court voted on the procedural amendment and the motion carried.
