Fix Public Comment, Strengthen Democracy

Sep 10

Open the mic to democratize the process.

This week I’m unpacking what really happened at the Sept. 8 Woodstock City Council meeting. In Part 1 we looked at the “tax shell game.” In Part 2 we examined outsourcing police details. Today, we turn to something even more basic: how City Hall sets up its meetings to minimize public input.

What’s Going On

Every Council meeting begins with an announcement about public comment. It sounds open and inviting — but once you look closer at the rules, it’s clear the system is built to limit transparency and discourage participation.

Here’s how it works in Woodstock:

Sign-up barrier. Residents must fill out a speaker form before the agenda item is even discussed. If you don’t sign up ahead of time, you’re not allowed to speak.
Awkward timing. The comment period comes after staff and council finish presenting, but immediately before the vote. That means you hear their explanation — but you can’t react to anything new, because you had to sign up before it started.
Restricted topics. The general “Public Comment” period doesn’t allow discussion of agenda items under active consideration. So if the most important issue of the night is being voted on, you may not be able to address it.
Civility rules. Gestures like clapping or showing signs of agreement or dissent are prohibited. Even silent reactions can be ruled “disruptive.”
Mayor’s control. The Mayor alone decides who is recognized to speak. No resident may address Council without the Mayor’s permission.
Agenda control. Citizens cannot place items directly on the agenda. Only staff, department heads, or elected officials can.

Why It Matters

On paper, there is space for public comment. In practice, here’s what it means for residents:

You must prepare comments blind, without hearing the full presentation.
Even if you hear something new that concerns you, it’s often too late to speak.
You can’t comment on some of the most important agenda items at all.
Ordinary expressions of support or dissent — like applause — are forbidden.
Whether you get recognized at all is at the discretion of one person: the Mayor.

It’s no wonder the public comment period often goes unused. It’s not because residents don’t care. It’s because the process is designed to make meaningful participation nearly impossible.

A Real Example: The Police Outsourcing Vote

At the Sept. 8 meeting, Council voted to outsource off-duty police work to a private company — a major change that affects officer pensions, pay, and accountability.

Not a single resident commented before the vote.

Does that mean no one cared? Of course not. It means the rules made it nearly impossible to weigh in. Unless you had signed up in advance — without hearing staff’s explanation of the contract — you couldn’t respond.

I wrote about that outsourcing decision in detail here:
👉 Support Our Officers With Real Accountability

This is exactly the kind of vote where residents deserve a chance to react to what they just heard — not to be boxed out by procedure.

A Pattern of Silence

The Sept. 8 meeting wasn’t unusual. At most council meetings I’ve attended, the public comment slot goes unused. Not because residents don’t care, but because the process makes it so difficult to participate.

By contrast, city planning meetings often get more public input. Why? Because there’s usually more information provided ahead of time — maps, project details, staff reports — that make it easier for residents to prepare questions or comments. At council meetings, the agenda is thinner and the explanations come too late, so unless you’re already an expert, you’re left guessing what to say.

The difference is clear: when people are given information in plain English, they engage. When they’re boxed out by process, they stay silent.

How Woodstock Compares

Some of these practices are common in Georgia cities — but Woodstock pushes them to an unusual extreme.

Sign-up rules: Requiring residents to sign up in advance is typical, but many cities allow more flexibility. For example, Roswell lets residents sign up during the meeting itself, and Athens-Clarke County allows people to register either in advance or at the meeting. Woodstock requires sign-up before discussion begins, which shuts down anyone who has questions after hearing the presentation.
Civility rules: Most cities ban shouting or disruptions, but they don’t ban ordinary reactions. Alpharetta, for instance, explicitly allows applause and other expressions of support unless it’s disruptive. Woodstock’s rules prohibit clapping or even silent shows of dissent, creating a chill on participation.
Timing of comment: Here is where Woodstock is especially unusual. Public comment comes after staff and council finish explaining, but immediately before the vote — leaving no time for residents to react to what they’ve just heard. In Atlanta, residents can comment after agenda items are introduced, and in Roswell, comment is slotted earlier so voices can shape debate. Woodstock’s system is set up so comment cannot meaningfully affect outcomes.
Agenda control: In Woodstock, only staff, department heads, or elected officials can put items on the agenda. In contrast, Athens-Clarke County and Decatur both allow residents to petition or formally request items, even if they don’t always make it onto the agenda.

In short: Woodstock has chosen some of the most restrictive versions of public comment rules available — not the norm in Georgia.

What We Should Do Instead

Woodstock families deserve more than the illusion of input. Here’s how to fix it:

Reform sign-up rules. Allow residents to register to speak after hearing the presentation.
Improve timing. Place public comment either before a vote and after the presentation, so residents can respond to what they just heard.
Open the agenda. Give citizens a way to petition or request items formally.
Relax the civility code. Allow ordinary expressions of agreement and dissent without labeling them “disruptive.”
Reduce gatekeeping. Recognition shouldn’t depend solely on the Mayor’s discretion.

Democracy only works when people can speak before decisions are made — not after it’s already too late. Right now, Woodstock’s public comment rules create the appearance of access, while making sure most residents stay silent.

See for yourself: