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Commissioner floats motions to protect county employees’ right to speak at meetings
Summary
A commissioner read a prepared statement emphasizing First Amendment protections for county employees and said they will introduce future motions to clarify how the commission handles department matters to prevent retaliation for employee speech.
A commissioner (S3) read a prepared statement to the board underscoring that the First Amendment’s protections for free speech apply to all Americans, including county employees who wish to voice concerns at public meetings. The speaker urged that no commissioner or official use authority to reprimand or intimidate department staff for exercising that right.
"No commissioner or elected official should use their authority to reprimand, intimidate or chew out a department head simply because that department's employees exercise their constitutional right to speak at a commission meeting," the commissioner said, and added they will bring "future motions to strengthen and clarify how this commission deals with our departments." The statement tied the constitutional protection to everyday public service and said protecting employee speech strengthens public trust in government.
The commissioner concluded by saying they would pursue formal proposals to clarify the commission’s handling of department-level concerns. The board then moved to adjourn; no formal policy was adopted at the meeting.
