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Speakers urge council to address complaints about Ordinance Committee public-comment handling
Summary
Several residents told the council they were denied the opportunity to speak at a recent Ordinance Committee meeting and urged the council to preserve public comment rights. One commenter also distributed a proposed ordinance to declare Marion a sanctuary for firearms.
During the public-comment period, multiple residents raised concerns about how the Ordinance Committee handled public participation. Charles Wassum said he appreciated Police Chief Testerman's invocation and reminded the council that "Congress must declare war; no one person has this authority," and he also criticized the committee's handling of speakers.
Robbie Colley and Roger Bowman specifically said citizens were denied the right to speak at the recent committee meeting; Colley spoke against a proposed constitutional amendment and distributed a proposed local ordinance seeking to designate Marion as a sanctuary city for firearms. David Fulton also said he had been denied an opportunity to speak and distributed handouts about upholding the Constitution. The mayor encouraged citizens to vote; councilors noted the issues would be handled at the appropriate level and encouraged civic participation ahead of April 21, 2026 local election activity.
