By Noah Dawson
The question of how we spend our time is perhaps one of the most important, especially given our limited time on this planet. Our time, more than any other good, is always scarce. What we choose to do with our time is what defines our lives. Much of our time is spent either working or sleeping. Some people (I’m not exempt) spend too much time binge watching tv shows. Some of our time, we can manage, but much of it, we can’t. One of the things the average person cannot manage is when they are able to publicly speak to government officials. It is important, then, that those in our government take the responsibility to ensure that the people are able to make their voices heard.
In Amarillo, the public comment portion of city council meetings is currently at the beginning of the meetings, which begin at 5pm every Tuesday. Each week, some weeks more than others, there are citizens of the city who show up, sacrificing their time to make their voices heard. For the past few months, more and more people have been showing up and making their voices heard.
That is about to change. Last week, the council discussed plans to move the meeting time from 5pm to 7am, starting in September. I would like to think our city council only has the best of intentions. They say they want to manage the overtime they have to pay to some of the city staff present at the meetings, and they say they want more people to be able to show up.
If these are their intentions, their plan of action fails to fix either issue. Coming in early is no less overtime than coming in late. I do understand that it may be reduced some, as the working day will often begin before the meeting is over, but this change is, like the parade fiasco a few weeks back, a minor dent in the budget, which sort of feels like it’s coming more from a position of theatrics than a position of fiscal responsibility. Still, I’d like to think their intentions are good, just misplaced.
As for having more people show up, I am clueless as to where that logic even comes from, as several of the working mothers who protested and spoke out against the proposed change yesterday can attest. Though I myself am not a mother, I do drive my sister to school, and have some understanding of their position in this regard. How are people supposed to manage getting kids to school and attending city council meetings?
This issue goes further than just the public comment portion, too. Even if a person could make the meeting at 7 in the morning and get their public comment in early enough to then leave and get their kids to school, they will probably miss out on the rest of the meeting. They will miss chances to speak on specific topics as they come up during the agenda. Their voices will not be heard.
In fact, I can't think of many who will be able to make the earlier time easier than the later time. If our council's intentions are true, they must reconsider, for their stated intentions cannot justify this change. I encourage everyone in Amarillo reading this to speak out before the time is changed. To speak at a city council meeting, you can sign up online on the city website, in person at city hall, or over the phone by calling city hall. The signup period begins on Mondays at 8am and end at the beginning of the city council meeting. Make your voice heard.
Mayor Ginger Nelson