Speaking (or not speaking your mind) at the Cortland County Legislature
Privilege of the Floor
The April 24, 2025 Cortland County Legislature meeting provided a unique opportunity to exercise privilege of the floor about privilege of the floor. The Cortland County Rules of Order define privilege of the floor as “the opportunity granted to a person who is not a member of the Legislature to address an issue that is on the current Legislative agenda.” Meaning: if its not a topic on that month’s agenda, you cannot speak.
So, for example, if I wanted to speak about the unlawful Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) raids happening across the country where immigrants are being kidnapped off the street and deported without due process — and to advocate that the county’s law enforcement should not cooperate in any way with these illegal raids, I would not be able to speak.
Because it was not on the agenda. And that topic - and many other pressing issues - will NEVER be on the agenda.
Since the Legislature was taking up an amended Rules of Order on their agenda, I had the opportunity to speak on this rule. It needs to be noted that Privilege of the Floor is the ONLY opportunity that residents of the county have to publicly address their elected officials on the record and have their voices heard. Off the record access to the county legislature is also extremely limited. They do not hold town halls or public forums or listening tours. Many legislators do not even have social media accounts connected to their elected positions to communicate with constituents.
How are county legislators supposed to be responsive to the interests of their constituents if they never let them speak freely? The Rules of Order already dictate a 5-minute speaking limit. I highly encouraged the striking of the language “that is on the current Legislative agenda” from the definition.
When the item came to a vote at the Legislature, there was NO DISCUSSION. No acknowledgement or support for my comments, no rationale offered as to why the rules of order are written that way. The rules passed unanimously. Every Democrat and every Republican voted in favor of limiting your access to speak at county meetings.