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Severance council debates social-media rules, leans toward adding guidance to ethics code
Summary
Councilors discussed whether to adopt a standalone social-media policy or fold guidance into the town's code of ethics. Members differed on personal autonomy vs. a need for decorum; several favored a short ethics amendment rather than a sweeping new policy.
Severance's council spent an extended portion of the meeting debating how (and whether) to regulate council members' use of social media when they identify as town officials.
Staff presented two sample policies and asked whether the council wanted a standalone social-media policy or a short ethics-code addition. Council members were split: some said social media guidance should be limited to a short addition to the ethics code that mirrors existing expectations about accuracy and not misrepresenting council positions; others argued a separate policy would be ineffective or an overreach on personal First Amendment rights.
Councilor comments captured the divide. One councilor said, "telling me what I can and cannot put on my own personal social media infringes on my First Amendment," while another urged that if a member uses a page to present town information, it should not be repurposed for campaigning. Several members recommended limited language that would say social-media content about town business should be accurate and not present personal pages as official town positions.
The council's consensus was to ask staff and the town attorney to draft a short amendment to the code of conduct or ethics that includes social-media guidance rather than adopt a lengthy standalone policy. Staff said they would return with proposed language after consulting legal and management.
Council then moved to adjourn into executive session on unrelated negotiating matters (NISP/Clearwater/VIDA/CIP water projects).
