If we wait for City Council, County Commissioner, or School Board meetings to learn about and voice our opinions on public matters ….we have waited too long. By then, all the influential arguments have already been heard. At this point, public comment on the subject amounts to nothing more than noise. We must engage at a lower level than that – committees sponsored by City Council, County Commissioners, or school boards.
Some government-sponsored committees invite citizen membership and management. Others allow public observation and comment without granting citizens any real opportunity to participate or manage them. These committees are where ideas become draft ordinances or policies.
The committees continue to meet and tweak their proposals. Many of these meetings are taped and available for public review. Some allow public attendance at the meetings. I believe that most of these committees are required to offer public posts of their meeting agendas and minutes to describe their activities. This point is where we must engage if we are going to influence public policy. Rest assured that the committee members and government sponsors are discussing outside of the public eye to help ensure that the maturing idea contains deliberate wording and provisions that will help sell it to the public and hesitant government leaders.
Once those in control are pleased with the final product, they will present it to the leaders for their questions, suggestions, and other feedback. The committee will then return to their workshop to apply the finishing touches. Now they are ready to offer the work product to the governing body and the public. You are welcome to voice your opinions at that meeting, but the people who will vote on the measure are not interested in hearing what you have to say. They already know how they will vote.
What Can You Do?
“Conservative old white man!“ you may exclaim. “There is just nothing we can do to change this pattern, is there?” Well, actually….there is! However, it will take work, determination, and bravery. By itself, whining on social media is not going to effect needed change. Conservatives need to infiltrate these committees and begin working to influence outcomes.
Can you spare 2-3 hours to explore and discover what is occurring right now in these committees?
- Research citizens and local government committees to determine which of them appeal to your interests or skills.
- Review the latest meeting minutes and agendas for committee meetings.
- Review video recordings of the meetings.
- Browse other meeting materials, such as draft proposals.
- Attend an upcoming meeting either via teleconferencing or in person.
Visit the Asheville City Council committees web page to learn more about city government committees that are populated only by City Council members and city staff members. Citizens are not able to join these committees or participate in them in any meaningful way. However, many of these meetings offer an opportunity for the public to provide 3 minutes of comment.
You may, however, apply to serve on one of the committees sponsored by the Asheville City Council or by the Buncombe County Commissioners. Many of these meetings will also provide a brief period for non-members to voice their thoughts. Some of these committees may even pay a stipend to their members!
Would you mind letting us know if you join any of these committees? Not only would we like to hear about your experience, but we also want to keep track of which committees now are hearing a conservative voice.
