Want to speak at a city council meeting? Here’s how to do it in Arizona

Giving public comment at a city council meeting is a great way to tell your local elected leaders about an issue that’s important to you. Maybe you want action taken or maybe you just want them to be aware. Here’s how you do it.

Sign up for public comment either online or once you arrive in person. There’s usually a sign-up sheet or a card to fill out.

It’s important to know what you provide is public record, which means anyone can request the sheet you filled out. Most meetings are video recorded and posted online, so if you’re hoping for confidentiality, this is not the way to go.

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Next: You need to decide whether you’re commenting on something being voted on, or just a general issue. General comments are usually done at the beginning or end of a meeting. They’re usually limited to two to three minutes. City councils have the right to shrink that time if there are a lot of speakers. It’s a good idea to prepare your speech ahead of time.

You may wonder why you often won’t see councilmembers respond to public comment. If you give general comment on something the city council is not voting on, they’re generally not supposed to respond, except to direct you to staff that can give further assistance.

Arizona Open Meeting Law requires advance notice to the public about what elected officials discuss. Without advance notice, the elected officials are limited in what they can say.

So let’s be honest here: Does your comment really matter? How effective is it?

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You should know that by the time something comes up for a vote at city council, there’s a good chance the councilmembers already know how they feel about it and how they plan to vote. That doesn’t mean your comment won’t matter because it could inspire an elected member to request a delay on voting.

But you should try to catch the issues earlier in the process. There are work study sessions, subcommittee meetings and commission meetings that issues usually go through before going to council. If you can weigh in early, you’ll have a better chance at effecting change.

Reporting by Taylor Seely, Arizona Republic