Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Wilder Proposes City Council Meetings
by Chris Dovi
News flash: Mayor Doug Wilder has proposed regular public meetings between himself and City Council.
In a letter to Council members, sent Aug. 28, Wilder says he believes a forum is lacking for the public to interface with council members and the mayor.
"We [Council and the mayor] should schedule regular meetings before the public," Wilder writes. "We could use these meetings to answer questions of each other and from the public -- on a variety of issues and topics. Such meetings would be beneficial for all concerned."
The letter did not mention whether such meetings would be publicized in advance using legal advertisements. According to law, any gathering of three or more Council members must be public.
Calls to the mayor's office and to his spokesman seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Currently, Council meets twice monthly in a forum called a City Council meeting. Those meetings, during which Wilder is allotted agenda time to speak and engage Council, are open to the public. The public is also allotted time to speak and ask questions of elected officials.
Councilman Chris Hilbert agrees that regular meetings between Council, the mayor and the public are beneficial.
"We've got one of those twice a month," says Hilbert. "I don't mind having another meeting, but it would seem to me that those things are in place now. [Wilder's proposal] seems like another diversion."
In a letter to Council members, sent Aug. 28, Wilder says he believes a forum is lacking for the public to interface with council members and the mayor.
"We [Council and the mayor] should schedule regular meetings before the public," Wilder writes. "We could use these meetings to answer questions of each other and from the public -- on a variety of issues and topics. Such meetings would be beneficial for all concerned."
The letter did not mention whether such meetings would be publicized in advance using legal advertisements. According to law, any gathering of three or more Council members must be public.
Calls to the mayor's office and to his spokesman seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Currently, Council meets twice monthly in a forum called a City Council meeting. Those meetings, during which Wilder is allotted agenda time to speak and engage Council, are open to the public. The public is also allotted time to speak and ask questions of elected officials.
Councilman Chris Hilbert agrees that regular meetings between Council, the mayor and the public are beneficial.
"We've got one of those twice a month," says Hilbert. "I don't mind having another meeting, but it would seem to me that those things are in place now. [Wilder's proposal] seems like another diversion."
Other Publications
