Edinburg Council Formalizes Expanded Public Participation at Meetings Beyond State Minimum Requirements
Arnoldo Mata
EDINBURG TX — The Edinburg City Council last night adopted an ordinance that formalizes the public’s right to speak at council meetings, establishing clear rules for participation while aligning with the Texas Open Meetings Act and even providing more opportunities for the public to address the Council during their meetings.
The ordinance codifies long-standing practices in Edinburg, where residents are allowed to speak during both the Open Forum and on individual agenda items — a policy that goes beyond state requirements. The Texas Open Meetings Act only mandates public input on posted agenda items.
“I’ve had calls from residents asking, are we losing our voice?” Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. said during the meeting. “And I said, no, I am understanding this is formalizing it. That’s what I tried to tell them.”
Under the newly adopted rules, speakers will be limited to three minutes during the Open Forum portion of the meeting, with a cap of 30 total minutes for that segment. No more than 10 speakers will be allowed to participate unless extended by the presiding officer. Comments on agenda items will be capped at two minutes per speaker, or four minutes if a translator is used.
The ordinance also requires individuals to submit a Public Participation Form to the City Secretary prior to the meeting in order to speak. The meeting’s presiding officer, typically the mayor or mayor pro-tem, is authorized to enforce the rules, which include the ability to revoke speaking privileges or remove individuals who are disruptive.
City Attorney Josephine Ramirez-Solis explained that while the city has long allowed robust public engagement, these procedures had not previously been written into ordinance.
“We allow for both public comments at the beginning of our meeting, as well as public participation on specific agenda items,” Ramirez-Solis said. “The Open Meetings Act only requires participation on agenda items, and so this ordinance codifies that now individuals can participate and do both.”
Mayor Garza said Edinburg is among a minority of cities offering such broad public access.
“I think we’re probably one of the few that allows that, and I’m certainly very proud of that,” he said. “We’re a public entity, so we have to allow for comments whether we want to hear what is said or not. I appreciate staff coming up with this so that it stays in place. If a future council wants to change that, they would have to put it on the agenda and repeal it.”
The adopted ordinance also lays out expectations for speaker conduct. Disruptive behavior, including loud or threatening language or repeated interruptions, may lead to removal from the meeting.