Posts by Ann Macfarlane
Choosing citizens by lottery: recipe for disaster?
The Washington Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials chooses half its 20 members by lottery.
Read MoreThe board booted me out – but can they?
A reader writes that he was voted off the board of directors of his neighborhood association. On investigation, it turned out that the board didn’t have the right to remove him.
Read MoreMeeting minutes record what is DONE, not what is said
The Town of Groton, Connecticut had an interesting kerfuffle this winter, when the Town Council voted to remove a statement from the November 14, 2017 meeting minutes.
Read MoreTie vote fails
What happens when a vote is tied? Here are a few angles to this question.
Read MoreDon’t say “so moved” or “same sign”
It’s common for people to say “so moved” when they agree with something a speaker says. Often this is a kind of enthusiastic endorsement. BUT…
Read MoreYou can’t shut down a meeting whenever you want
“Can City Council President Ben Stuckart really shut down a meeting whenever he wants?” runs the catchy headline. The answer, of course, is NO!
Read MoreDon’t take a two-thirds vote by voice
When you have to take a two-thirds vote, take it by a show of hands. Don’t use voice, as in this video from Amherst, Massachusetts!
Read MoreThe twelve stupidest meeting mistakes
In the eighteen years since Jurassic Parliament began, we’ve seen a lot of dumb things happen at meetings. Here’s our dirty dozen—a list of the twelve stupidest meeting mistakes.
Read MoreMunicipal clerks are the unsung heroes
May is the month when we celebrate municipal clerks, and Jurassic Parliament is delighted to join in offering kudos to these unsung heroes of our society. When you look under the hood of local government, you find clerks everywhere.
Read MoreGuidelines for Meeting Minutes in Local Government
Meeting minutes recording the actions taken by your council or board are a fundamental part of the meeting process. These are our guidelines for meeting minutes in local government.
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