Setting An Example

Dear Mayor Jaggers:

I can only imagine the difficultly of leading a public meeting when a clear majority of the attendees are showing up because they expressly oppose you and this council’s policies and approach to governing. But, that is the position that you are now in and dealing with that is your responsibility as mayor of this town.

Attempting to manage that opposition by limiting citizen comments (in several ways) and admonishing them repeatedly yet allowing those who agree with you to chastise the audience directly has done little to improve the atmosphere of council meetings. In fact, that approach has had the opposite effect.

After the public comments, the negative tone of meetings continues with the dramatic difference in the manner in which you treat Council Member Allison Davis in contrast to how you treat council members Barchfeld, Fore, McCullough and Kelly. As video of council meetings shows, you have interrupted her, cut her off mid-sentence, gestured with your hand that she be quiet and have raised your voice to talk over her to stop her from asking a question or expressing a concern. When you do this, the audience is further alienated, an audience that is made up primarily of in-city-limits voters, business owners and involved citizens - people who have served this community and continue to serve in many ways and for many years. It’s no wonder attendees speak up and out of turn.

Dr. Davis is simply attempting to get important questions answered- just as other council members do. She was duly elected just like you and the other council members. Treating her disrespectfully is to disrespect the government, this community itself and the laws that we abide by. I ask you to treat her with the same respect as you treat the rest of the council.

As mayor, you have responsibilities outlined in not only the laws of the State of Texas, but also in widely accepted rules of order. Those rules have been time-tested to make government proceedings less personal, more efficient and more respectful. Those rules were conceived to avoid exactly the kind of negative, uncomfortable circumstances that have occurred at pretty much every single city council meeting since the election.

Please start the healing process of this community by setting an example of treating ALL council members, audience and community members with consideration and respect, as you would expect to be treated.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Minnick