staff

Don’t attack or criticize the staff in public

By Ann Macfarlane / November 17, 2022 / Comments Off on Don’t attack or criticize the staff in public
man shaking finger

Several local government officials have recently described to us situations where elected officials are criticizing and attacking the staff during public meetings. This must not happen. Councilmembers and board members must respect the role of the administrative head of the organization (mayor, city manager, general manager, etc.). They may not criticize the staff in public.…

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Who may raise a point of order at council meetings?

By Ann Macfarlane / April 17, 2015 /
A red stop sign with two lights is attached to the side of a yellow vehicle, next to the text "NO," serving as a clear point of order for passing drivers.

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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