Tarrant County Commissioners are weighing a plan that would sharply tighten the rules for public comment at their meetings, limiting when people can sign up and how long they can speak. The proposal, introduced by County Judge Tim O’Hare, is scheduled for a vote next Tuesday at the court’s 10 a.m. meeting. Backers say the move would keep official business moving and cut down on staff time, while critics warn it would shrink residents’ chances to be heard.
Under the proposal, speakers would get a maximum of three minutes total across all agenda items and could only sign up during a single public comment window at the start of each session. The plan would also reset the current cutoffs that reduce speaking time, trimming speakers to two minutes when 30 or more people sign up and to one minute when 50 or more register. It would end the practice of letting people sign up for multiple items and receive three minutes for each. About a dozen people typically show up to address the court at regular meetings, according to reporting by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which notes the court will take up the measure at its next session.
Judge frames change as a staff-efficiency move
O’Hare has defended the proposal as a practical fix to what he calls an agenda-heavy process that eats up staff time and makes it harder to prepare thorough briefings. He told reporters the changes are meant to keep meetings from running unwieldy while still preserving the public’s right to speak, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The draft language was introduced ahead of next week’s vote.
Advocates worry it will shrink civic access
Community organizers and the court’s two Democratic members argue the proposal would reduce transparency and make it tougher for residents to hold elected officials accountable. They point out that the court’s 10 a.m. Tuesday meeting time already favors people with flexible schedules, and say that tightening sign-up rules and cutting speaker time could effectively sideline recurring critics. Activists planning to attend the vote say they will press commissioners to preserve the current process and to look at other ways to shorten meetings without curbing public input, as reported by KERA News.
Legal lines: what Texas law allows
Texas law requires governmental bodies to hold open meetings and give the public a chance to comment on agenda items, but it also lets local officials adopt “reasonable” rules for participation as long as they do not discriminate based on viewpoint. The Texas Open Meetings Act and guidance from the attorney general say bodies may limit the number, frequency, and length of comments. Any policy that effectively prevents people from addressing agenda items, however, could trigger legal complaints. The rules are set out in the Texas Government Code, Chapter 551, which governs open meetings…