Acting Locally: A Guide to Getting Your Voice Heard by Local Government

Written by Adam Protheroe, Litigation Attorney at SC Appleseed

About this blog: SC Appleseed’s Litigation Attorney Adam Protheroe shares the basics of local government meetings and the ways you can get involved.

It can sometimes feel like the federal and state governments are very distant from us. We hear a lot about them in the news, and what they do can affect our lives. It can feel very overwhelming trying to figure out how we as individuals can play a role in all of this. Often, however, it’s what’s happening at the local level that matters most day to day. Maybe you’re concerned about maintenance at a city park, or you think more should be done to make sure landlords are maintaining homes they rent. Maybe you think the city should be doing more to promote affordable housing or help people who are experiencing homelessness.

Fortunately, there is much you can do! It is often easier to have your voice heard at the local government level. At the national level, your voice might be one among millions. But at the local level, you might be one of only a few people speaking on an issue. This is why it can be impactful to participate in your local politics. In this blog, I will be discussing how this process works and the steps you can take to make a difference locally.

Local Government Contains Many, Many Layers

First off, let’s acknowledge that it’s easy to get confused trying to navigate local governments. They are usually broken up into different bodies or departments that handle different issues. There are also different governing bodies for counties and cities or towns. Additionally, one issue or proposal may be reviewed by more than one body before a final decision is made. And each of these bodies can have different rules for public comment! We won’t get into the weeds of all these layers, but instead focus on the critical place where you can have the most effect.

What is an Ordinance and Why is That Important

Let’s start with what you’re interested in. Is it something your local government is doing or thinking about doing? Or do you just want to find out what your local government is up to? Lots of things that local governments do have to be done by ordinance, which is basically a local law. Ordinances must be passed by elected officials just like laws have to be passed by state and federal legislatures. Ordinances can do all sorts of things like make changes to services that the local government provides, change what can be built in certain areas, change the fees that are charged for certain services, or make certain activities punishable by a fine. Before a local government can pass an ordinance, they must bring it up and vote on it at public meetings. Usually, an ordinance must be brought up at three of these meetings before it can be passed.

Public Meetings

These public meetings are usually a place for people to speak either for or against whatever the ordinance is trying to do. While it is common for local governments to receive public comments during their regular meetings, they don’t actually have to. In fact, there are only a few situations where local governments are required to hold a “public hearing” and receive comments from members of the public. For example, local governments must hold public hearings when adopting a budget for the next fiscal year or when proposing a new service or user fee. But most do hear public comments at these meetings though there are usually some rules about how to make comments (more on that shortly).

So, if what you’re interested in is on the agenda for a public meeting, that meeting is usually a good place to make your voice heard. But there are also usually some rules about how to do this, and each government body can make their own rules.

Participating at a Public Meeting

It’s common for each speaker to have a time limit, usually somewhere between 2 to 5 minutes. You might also need to sign up to speak either before the meeting starts or sometimes before the day of the meeting. And you might be limited to speaking only about something on the meeting agenda.

So how do you find out what the rules are? Sometimes rules will be posted on the meeting agenda. You might also find information about these rules on the local government website. But if you can’t find the answer, you can call or email to ask. Often, the “clerk to council” or someone in their office will be able to answer your question.

Here are a couple of examples of how this works in practice:

But let’s say the issue you’re concerned about isn’t a proposed ordinance or something that you can find on a meeting agenda. What now?

• Some local governments allow public comment on any subject during their meetings, not just items on the agenda. So, you’re free to bring up the issue you’re interested in at any regular meeting.
• Other governments set aside time for public comments about items that are not on the agenda. Sometimes this will be at the regular meetings, but before or after comments are heard on agenda items.
• Some local governments hold special meetings to hear public comment on issues that are not on regular meeting agendas. And some others don’t say one way or another. If you can’t find the rules, a call or an email to the clerk to council might get you the answer.

Alternatives to Speaking at a Public Meeting

Even if you can’t make it to a public meeting, there are other options that can work. Reaching directly to elected officials can be effective, particularly at the local level. Many local governments provide email or other contact information for local officials, and this can be another way to get your voice heard.

So, we’ve talked about how to have your voice heard. But how do you know what to say?

The short answer is: “That’s up to you!” But that’s not very helpful, is it? I won’t try to tell you what to say on any particular subject. But here are a few tips on how to present your comments in the most persuasive way:

• Write your comments down and practice saying them beforehand. This is important, especially when you have a time limit. You want to make sure you can say what you want to in the time allowed. Writing your comments down and practicing them can also help make sure they’re clear. If you can, practice them in front of someone else to make sure they make sense. You’ll also be more comfortable with some practice, especially if you don’t do much public speaking.
• Don’t think of this as a Q&A. It’s usually not effective to ask questions of the members of whatever public body you’re speaking to. They usually will just listen rather than answer your questions.
• Be civil! It can be tempting to “call someone out” or blame them if you think they’re taking the wrong approach on an issue you care about. But this is rarely persuasive to them or to anyone else that doesn’t already agree with you. And it can have the opposite effect, pushing people away who might have been persuaded to agree with you. It’s usually more effective to calmly explain what your concerns are or why you think an issue should be decided in a certain way. Try to use facts rather than feelings to make your point.
• Bring friends. Local government is just that: Local! A small number of voices can have a large impact, and if you can organize a few others who also care about the issue you’re concerned about and have them make comments, you can be more persuasive

We hope these tips are helpful to getting started in being active in your local government. If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected] today.

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Further reading:
ACA Open Enrollment Guide
A Guide to Giving Public Comment (Education)
Introduction to School Boards