Texas Border Business
McAllen– In September of 2015, House Bill 283 began requiring governmental bodies with a population of 50,000 or more to record video and audio of city commission meetings and make the recordings available online. McAllen city attorneys have interpreted the new law to include public comment.
“According to our legal department, the way the law is written we have to broadcast the meeting from gavel to gavel,” said City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez, P.E. “By eliminating just the public comment section, we are protecting our taxpayers from slander because we have no control over what people say.”
Even before the new bill was presented, the City of McAllen has made every effort to improve transparency and access to government.
“McAllen is at the forefront in the Rio Grande Valley. For years, we have been one of the only cities broadcasting regularly scheduled open meetings on television and online,” Rodriguez said. “Removing only the public comment portion protects our community from liability and it was removed due to HB283.”
The McAllen City Commission does offer an alternative. City commissioners and Mayor Jim Darling volunteered to stay behind after the meetings so citizens can speak to their elected officials and voice their concerns.
“We are very happy that the author of HB283 has agreed to amend that law so that it is clear that public comment does not have to be rebroadcast,” Rodriguez said. “We look forward to the representative fixing this unintended consequence.”
