Effective Local Government

Getting your board to buy in to Robert’s Rules

By Ann Macfarlane / January 31, 2019 /

A reader writes, “The city council has never used much parliamentary procedure in our meetings. People speak when they want and sidebar discussions are common. How to ease the council into more parliamentary procedure without confusing them?” It’s a great question. Here are three steps you can take to get your council or board to…

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They threw him out of Parliament. You can sanction too.

By Ann Macfarlane / December 12, 2018 /

High drama in the House of Commons as Member of Parliament expelled for the day.

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Put away your cell phone on the dais

By Ann Macfarlane / December 7, 2018 /
sign restricting cell phones

Jurassic Parliament strongly recommends that local governments establish a policy requiring elected officials to put away their cell phones while on the dais.

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Don’t get chummy

By Ann Macfarlane / November 28, 2018 /

City councilmembers and nonprofit board leaders should not get chummy—too familiar—with their constituents or regular members. Here’s why.

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Successful staff interaction in local government meetings

By Ann Macfarlane / October 10, 2018 / Comments Off on Successful staff interaction in local government meetings
council meeting with staff

Staff interaction in local government meetings can be effective or disastrous.

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Choosing citizens by lottery: recipe for disaster?

By Ann Macfarlane / July 16, 2018 / Comments Off on Choosing citizens by lottery: recipe for disaster?
Liz Heath

The Washington Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials chooses half its 20 members by lottery.

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Don’t say “so moved” or “same sign”

By Ann Macfarlane / June 19, 2018 / Comments Off on Don’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…What exactly was moved? If the remarks or proposal were vague, it is not clear what was intended. We recommend that people NOT use this phrase. However, if someone does say, “So moved,” the chair…

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You can’t shut down a meeting whenever you want

By Ann Macfarlane / June 11, 2018 /

“Can City Council President Ben Stuckart really shut down a meeting whenever he wants?” runs the catchy headline. The answer, of course, is NO!

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Municipal clerks are the unsung heroes

By Ann Macfarlane / May 15, 2018 /

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. They are the dedicated, quiet, consistent, reliable, and hard-working “go to” people who keep our country…

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Guidelines for Meeting Minutes in Local Government

By Ann Macfarlane / May 2, 2018 / Comments Off on Guidelines 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. They refer to ordinary business and work or study meetings of councils, boards and committees. Public hearings are governed by different rules. Download PDF WHAT KIND…

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