Jackson, Mich. (WKHM) — The format for public comment at Jackson County board meetings have been changed following a split vote approval from the Jackson County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
The first round of public comment near the beginning of the meeting will still be limited to three minutes of time, but speakers can now only discuss topics that are on the meeting’s agenda.
The second round of public comment near the end of the meeting still has no topic restrictions, and has also been extended from two minutes to three minutes.
The edit was proposed by County Administrator Mike Overton during the board’s February Study Session after public comment lasted multiple hours during January’s full board meeting before any item on the agenda could be addressed.
Nearly all of the public comment at that meeting was on the topic of the Jackson County Office of the Sheriff’s 287(g) Agreement with ICE, which was not an item on the agenda.
Commissioner Phil Duckham expressed his support for the change, saying that county business should be taken care of first, and those who want to talk about non-agenda items still have an opportunity to do so.
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Commissioner Duckham was joined in the majority vote by Commissioners Tony Bair, Margie Walz, Corey Kennedy, and Ray Snell in support of the motion.
Commissioner John Willis, one of the three commissioners who voted in opposition, voiced his concerns about the edit.
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Commissioner Willis was joined in the minority vote by Commissioners Earl Poleski and Darius Williams to oppose the motion.
A full recording of the February 17 Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting can be found by clicking here.