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Resident criticizes Harlingen commission meeting order, cites Texas Open Meetings Act
Summary
A resident accused the Harlingen City Commission of placing mayoral and commission reports ahead of citizen comments and urged that citizens be heard before agenda items, invoking the Texas Open Meetings Act during public comment.
During the citizens-communication period at a Harlingen City Commission special meeting, resident Robert Lipwich criticized the commission's procedure and said citizens should be allowed to speak prior to agenda items and reports. Lipwich referred to the state open-meetings law in arguing the current order limited public participation.
"The fact of the matter is that the Texas Open Meetings Act protects citizens' participation in city needs," Lipwich said, arguing that under prior administrations citizen comments were heard earlier and that the present order effectively places officials ahead of the public. He complained that the city attorney and mayor were discouraging pre-agenda public comment and said residents deserved truthful information about tax levies.
The mayor responded that citizen communication is a time for residents to address the commission and that, under the rules for this type of meeting, "the city commission members may not respond to comments or deliberate on topics addressed." The mayor also noted town halls are held in each district for more extended public engagement.
No formal action was taken on Lipwich's complaint during the meeting. The transcript records his remarks and the mayor's procedural response; the commission subsequently proceeded to the scheduled agenda items.
