Elected officials in Antioch, El Cerrito, Fremont, Modesto, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Walnut Creek have started cutting off virtual public comment.
Walnut Creek Councilmember Kevin Wilk stands at the Walnut Creek Council Chamber in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Friday, July 7, 2023. When Zoom meeting attendees start raising virtual “hands” to speak during Walnut Creek City Council meetings, administrators have few options but to sit in mortified silence as extremists and other online trolls spew hate speech, usually under the cover of anonymity.
Elected officials in Antioch, El Cerrito, Fremont, Modesto, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Sonoma County have also decided to cut off virtual public comment. Betsy Burkhart, Walnut Creek’s communications manager, acknowledged that some people may feel public comments are more impactful when spoken directly to elected officials, even if written input technically carries the same weight. However, she said one of the biggest motivations for the change was reclaiming decorum since hateful comments can have a chilling effect on a city’s ability to govern effectively.
The City Council and staff deliberated over the limitations of free speech between the comments, denouncing many of the statements as they came. After the public comment period, Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner began his typical thanks to public commenters, then paused and said, “We appreciate you calling in. … Well actually, we don’t appreciate you calling in, I’ll just be honest with you. I think it’s disgusting.
After the public embraced virtual meetings as a convenient way to engage with local government during the pandemic, Levine said hateful antagonists are now “trying to take that space away.”
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