Effective Local Government
Chairing a meeting requires two skills that are not easy to combine. The presider has to control the meeting, which requires strength. At the same time, he has to remain emotionally connected to the members, which requires warmth. Put too much strength into your voice, and you come across as cold and uncaring. Put too…
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After a few years in this business, it seems to me that questions of authority are some of the hardest to resolve. Over and over I find city councils, boards of directors, and other governing boards struggling with the question, “Who’s in charge here, anyway?” If a group understands certain fundamental principles, it becomes much…
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In this country today, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the foundation of our civil liberty.
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There are a number of “urban myths” about Robert’s Rules of Order that can get in the way of democratic process for your council. If your municipality, county council, or special district avoids these bad habits, congratulations! If these errors happen at your meetings, however, you might want to bring them to the attention of your colleagues…
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PlannersWeb, a long-time source of excellent advice for planning commissions, has now made all its content available free to all. Check out their website for dozens of invaluable articles and to-the-point guidance. If you are a citizen member of a planning commission, a staff planner, or elected official concerned with planning issues, you’ll find much relevant advice…
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Over the years of working with parliamentary procedure I’ve found that there is a lot of confusion about the motion “point of order.” In essence, when a person says “point of order” he is making a claim that there has been some procedural mistake. In his view, something has been done incorrectly, and it ought…
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