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Board weighs rules to limit responses, define "electioneering" and expand parliamentarian role
Summary
Staff presented redlined changes that assign clear duties to a parliamentarian, bar personal attacks and electioneering at the podium, and set time limits for member responses; the board debated the line between political opinion and impermissible electioneering.
Staff presented a redlined revision of the town board's meeting rules that assigns detailed responsibilities to a parliamentarian and spells out decorum requirements for public comment and hearings.
The draft says the "parliamentarian shall advise the board on issues concerning preservation of order and decorum at all meetings" and gives that officer authority to advise on quorum and public-comment questions. It would also bar personal attacks and behavior that disrupts board formality, and it would prohibit electioneering (soliciting votes or campaigning) at the public podium.
Several board members debated the scope of the electioneering prohibition. One member objected that the rule could chill speech: "I feel that if somebody's making a personal attack, it's one thing... but I just really don't like the idea of subjective, you know, censorship of anybody," the member said. Other board members and staff distinguished opinion about issues from explicit solicitation of votes and called for clearer wording to avoid misapplication.
The proposed rules also include a time-limit structure for board responses (a 5-minute initial period and a 3-minute rebuttal, with majority vote required to extend), and staff said appeals to the parliamentarian's rulings could be handled by motion of the board.
No final vote on the rule changes occurred at the meeting; board members asked staff to clarify language on electioneering and on equal treatment for members seeking extra time.
